The Political Economy of East Asian Development

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

How did East Asia emerge from war and poverty to become the world’s most economically dynamic region in the late 20th and early 21st century? This course examines the causes and consequences of East Asia’s “economic miracles,” exploring the development pathways of China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan in comparative and historical perspective. We consider both orthodox and heterodox accounts of East Asian growth, unpacking concepts such as "the developmental state," "state capitalism," and “state-led innovation” to make sense of East Asia’s successes (and failures). The course is structured around five key questions: (1) What did the East Asian economies accomplish, and just how “miraculous” are these achievements in hindsight? (2) What development strategies and policy tools did East Asian governments use in pursuit of rapid industrialization? (3) What social and political-institutional conditions enabled East Asian countries to successfully pursue such approaches, and how unique were these conditions to the region and the historical moment in question? (4) What economic tradeoffs and human and environmental costs have accompanied East Asia’s booming growth? (5) What lessons does East Asia's experience offer for the contemporary developing world? To address these questions, we engage with ideas from multiple theoretical traditions and draw on various resources, including academic, policy, and journalistic writings, videos, and podcasts.