Teaching Comparative

Political economy or economic politics

James Lerch, who has been teaching in southern China and who will be off to an even more exotic place next school year, recommended Getting Governance Right by Dani Rodrik. Jim says the article has "all kinds of teaching possibilities." It sure does, if you're comfortable with basic macroeconomic ideas.

Rodrik is a Professor of Political Economy at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. But some political scientists might be alarmed by some of his thoughts and recommendations. (See the conclusion where he writes, "Too much focus on broad issues, such as rule of law and accountability, runs the risk that policymakers will end up tilting at windmills...") Such alarm might be good for discussion.

The article is dense and that will make sorting out the ideas in class even more fun.

Getting Governance Right

"Economists used to tell governments to fix their policies. Now they tell them to fix their institutions... Real and sustainable change is supposedly possible only by transforming the 'rules of the game' – the manner in which governments operate and relate to the private sector.

"Unfortunately, much of the discussion surrounding governance reforms fails to make a distinction between governance-as-an-end and governance-as-a means. The result is muddled thinking and inappropriate strategies for reform...

"Poor countries suffer from a multitude of growth constraints, and effective reforms address the most binding among them...

"Designing appropriate institutional arrangements also requires both local knowledge and creativity. What works in one setting is unlikely to work in another...

"Good governance is good in and of itself. It can also be good for growth when it is targeted at binding constraints. Too much focus on broad issues, such as rule of law and accountability, runs the risk that policymakers will end up tilting at windmills while overlooking the particular governance challenges most closely linked to economic growth."

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Labels: concepts, economics, governance, politics

posted by Ken Wedding @ 7:26 AM