This course aims to sharpen students’ understanding of the political dynamics and their impacts on the international system. It examines some theoretical and conceptual tools relevant for analyzing the developmental issues that have shaped the thinking and practices of governments. The course profiles the political and economic systems of developed countries and measures their impact on the developing economies. In particular, it analyses the diversity of countries, languages, cultures, political structures and systems and gauges the extent to which they have contributed to their development. It places emphasis on countries’ historical and political developments with a view to comprehend the influences of colonial rule on their level of development. Furthermore, the course examines the intervening forces that stimulated the Third Wave of democratization on the African continent and attempts to gauge the quality of political reforms that have occurred in the developing world. It adopts the lecturer-led interactive approach as means of instructing students and make use of IT tools such as power-point presentations, and audio-visuals for illustrations. It is expected that when students have completed this course, they would be able to acquire the skills necessary to analyze the complex developmental issues confronting the world’s government.
LEGON CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND DIPLOMACY.
