EQ1 8A.3 GOVERNMENTS - DEVELOPMENT POLICIES

Question 1

what do Governments and International Government Organisations (IGOs) play a significant role in

Answer 1

defining development targets and policies

Question 2

In general, countries that are more to the ‘left’ and more democratic tend to invest more in what

Answer 2

in social progress factors e.g. education and health

Question 3

countries that are more to the ‘right’ and more authoritarian tend to invest less in what

Answer 3

social progress factors

Question 4

an extremist socialist example

Answer 4

Socialist Cuba, where social development is a high priority.

Question 5

an extremist authoritarian example

Answer 5

Saudi Arabia, with very low levels of per capita spending on public services

Question 6

how are governments classified (left to right)

Answer 6

Governments can be classified along a continuum from left wing (socialist) to right wing (capitalist).

Question 7

how are governments classified

Answer 7

They can also be classified along a continuum from democratic (hold regular elections) to authoritarian and totalitarian (with small powerful elites).

Question 8

in most countries what does economic development provide

Answer 8

the means (capital and human resources) that drive and sustain human development

Question 9

what 2 types of development are critical and in the hands of governments

Answer 9

economic and human development

Question 10

what do governments determine

Answer 10

Governments determine how much of a country’s wealth should be spent on providing education, health and other social services.

Question 11

what does government spending depend on

Answer 11

This depends very much on governmental attitudes towards social progress

Question 12

when were the IGOs established

Answer 12

Three IGOs established after the Second World War

Question 13

what do the IGOs control

Answer 13

the rules of world trade and financial flows.

Question 14

the 3 main institutions are

Answer 14

The World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The World Bank (WB).

Question 15

what are the aims of the institutions

Answer 15

The three IGOs have helped to maintain the dominance of ‘western’ capitalism as the dominant paradigm in the globalised economy.
They support free trade and economic development.
The three IGOs have helped to maintain the dominance of ‘western’ capitalism as the dominant paradigm in the globalised economy.
They support free trade and economic development.

Question 16

what is the aim of the WTO

Answer 16

The WTO aims to reduce the trade barriers between different countries.

Question 17

what are the global agreements of the WTO

Answer 17

The WTO tries to get all countries internationally to agree to the same terms that help to create free trade.
The latest round of talks began in Doha in 2001, but have not yet been concluded.

Question 18

what does the WTO say about tariffs

Answer 18

According to the WTO ‘tariffs give a price advantage to local producers’. They are effectively a tax on imports.
The WTO tries to reduce barriers to trade (like tariffs). The WTO tries to persuade nations to reduce their tariffs on a range of goods and services.

Question 19

what does the IMF do

Answer 19

promotes global economic and financial stability.

Question 20

what does the world bank do

Answer 20

lends money to fund development

Question 21

what does the IMF encourage

Answer 21

The IMF encourages developing countries to accept foreign direct investment (FDI) and open up their economies to free trade.

Question 22

why is the IMF criticised

Answer 22

The IMF is often criticised for promoting a ‘western’ model of economic development that works in the interests of developed nations and TNCs.

Question 23

why did the Britain use the IMF in 1976

Answer 23

In 1976, Britain had to borrow $3.9bn from the IMF when it faced an inflationary crisis.

Question 24

why did the Argentina use the IMF in 2018

Answer 24

In 2018, Argentina accepted a $50bn loan from the IMF after their currency, the Argentinian peso, weakened materially.

Question 25

how has the world bank helped developing countries

Answer 25

The World Bank lends money to the developing world to fund economic development and reduce poverty.
The World Bank has helped developing countries develop connections with the global economy.

Question 26

why is the world bank criticised

Answer 26

It is sometimes criticised for having policies that prioritise economic development over social development.

Question 27

what has happened since the 1970s for developing countries

Answer 27

Since the 1970s, tougher rules and strict conditions have been applied for large-scale lending, especially for developing countries. These have included the SAP and HIPC schemes

Question 28

what does SAP stand for

Answer 28

SAP stands for Structural Adjustment Programmes.

Question 29

what is a SAP

Answer 29

They are usually made up of loans from the IMF and World Bank.
SAPs have made countries that receive lending follow specific routes to development, such as privatisation.

Question 30

why is Africa Action, an NGO critical of SAPs

Answer 30

they claim that the assumption that the market leads to benefits for the rich and poor is flawed.

Question 31

ghanas structural adjustment plan

Answer 31

Ghana launched its structural adjustment plan in 1983. The IMF and World Bank say it is one of the most successful SAPs in Africa.

Question 32

what does HIPC stand for

Answer 32

Heavily Indebted Poor Countries

Question 33

how many nations are in HIPC

Answer 33

here are 37 nations in this group, including Ghana, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Senegal.

Question 34

what are the aims of HIPC schemes

Answer 34

HIPC schemes aim to make sure that no country faces an unmanageable debt burden (amount of debt).

Question 35

what do HIPC schemes aim to achieve

Answer 35

Under HIPC schemes, countries must reduce poverty over time and meet other criteria. If they meet all of these criteria, then they may have all their external debt cancelled.
Chad achieved this in 2015.

Question 36

criticisms of SAP and HIPC

Answer 36

Some people argue that SAPs and HIPCs mean the sovereignty of these nations is questionable - are they perhaps neo-colonial?

Question 37

what is the most important IGO

Answer 37

the UN

Question 38

what does the UN seek to do

Answer 38

Global organisations have been particularly important since 1945. The UN seeks to manage global environmental, socio-economic and political problems.

Question 39

how many countries does the UN have as its member states

Answer 39

The UN has 193 countries as its member states.

Question 40

where are the UN headquarters

Answer 40

The UN’s headquarters are in New York, USA.

Question 41

how can we meet challenge through the UN

Answer 41

The UN states that only international co-operation can meet the challenges that the world faces and it operates by applying the principles of its Charter (signed at the founding of the UN).

Question 42

how does the UN maintain international peace and stability

Answer 42

The UN tries to maintain international peace and stability using the UN Security Council.

Question 43

who are the permanent members of the the UN Security Council

Answer 43

The UN Security Council has Russia, the USA, China and the UK as permanent members and some other members rotate onto the Council.

Question 44

does the UN have its own military

Answer 44

The UN does not have its own military. Any peacekeeping forces under the UN banner are supplied by member states of the UN.

Question 45

what did the UN establish

Answer 45

The UN established the Geneva Convention which protects the rights of prisoners.

Question 46

what are the UNs functions

Answer 46

Aims to protect human rights by adopting the UDHR (Universal Declaration of Human Rights) as a standard.
Applies economic or diplomatic sanctions to countries, in order to make them change their behaviour.
Upholds international law through the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Question 47

what did the UN do in 2000 and 2015

Answer 47

In both 2000 and 2015, set targets (Millenium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals respectively) regarding tackling poverty, child and maternal mortality, diseases and environmental concerns.

Question 48

what is the IPCC

Answer 48

(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), a scientific advisory panel, to inform debate on climate change.

Question 49

who established the IPCC

Answer 49

the UN

Question 50

what has the IPCC organised

Answer 50

The IPCC has organised global conferences on how to tackle climate change, such as the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the COP21 in Paris in 2015.

Question 51

what does the The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) aim to do

Answer 51

seeks to protect vulnerable children around the world.

Question 52

what does the UNHCR (UN High Commissioner for Refugees) aim to do

Answer 52

support people affected by conflict.

Question 53

the UN troops role

Answer 53

UN troops are supplied by member states. They wear distinctive blue helmets.
UN troops have a peace-keeping role and are not allowed to engage in any military action unless they are protecting themselves.

Question 54

what did the UN troops do in Bosnia

Answer 54

At the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia, UN troops failed to help a group of Muslims, who were then slaughtered by Karadzic’s troops.
In 2018, there were UN peace-keeping troops stationed in Sudan, Kosovo, Haiti and Lebanon.

Question 55

what does the ICC do

Answer 55

The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established at the Hague in the Netherlands to try individuals for crimes like genocide (attempts to destroy a racial or ethnic group).

Question 56

how fast are trials at the ICC

Answer 56

The trials at the ICC are very slow. Radovan Karadzic is a Bosnian Serb who was accused of the Srebrenica massacre in 1995. He was found guilty, but his trial lasted 8 years.

Question 57

the UN emergency relief

Answer 57

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees organises refugee camps in conflict zones. For example, the UN helped to set up the Zaatari camp in Jordan to shelter refugees from the Syrian civil war.
They aim to protect refugees and vulnerable people from further abuse.

Question 58

what are sanctions

Answer 58

Sanctions are designed to force countries to change their policy by enforcing economic or social pain.

Question 59

economic sanctions

Answer 59

Economic sanctions are restrictions on trade. Iran was put under economic sanctions whilst it was developing its nuclear capabilities.

Question 60

cultural sanctions

Answer 60

Cultural sanctions, for example, refusing to let countries participate in sporting fixtures can be enforced. Another international organisation, the IOC banned Russia from competing at the 2018 Olympics.

Question 61

how successful are sanctions

Answer 61

The success of sanctions alone to create change has been limited.

Question 62

what do the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) do

Answer 62

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were set by the UN at the turn of the century to set targets to combat poverty.

Question 63

how many MDGs are there

Answer 63

8

Question 64

what are the MDGs

Answer 64

1 - Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
2 - Achieve universal primary education.
3 - Promote gender equality and empower women.
4 - Reduce child mortality.
5 - Improve maternal health.
6 - Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
7 - Ensure environmental sustainability.
8 - Global partnership for development.

Question 65

when were the MDGs agreed

Answer 65

The MDGs were agreed in 2000 in a series of international conferences and summits.

Question 66

what is the aim of MDGs

Answer 66

Their aim was to fight poverty and combat a range of issues hampering human development.

Question 67

what was agreed at MDG conferences

Answer 67

A framework to coordinate development efforts was agreed.
It allowed assessment of the progress being made at a national level.
The overall goal was reducing the development gap between the poorest and richest countries.
8 MDGs were agreed.

Question 68

what is the progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

Answer 68

Progress in the UN’s MDGs has been mixed in terms of individual countries, global regions and targets.

Question 69

the UN report quote

Answer 69

“Millions of people are being left behind, especially the poorest and those disadvantaged because of their sex, age, disability, ethnicity or geographic location. Targeted efforts will be needed to reach the most vulnerable people.”

(UN Progress Report on the MDGs – 2015)

Question 70

the progress in terms of MDG targets

Answer 70

In 2015, the UN stated that ‘considerable progress’ had taken place worldwide on all eight targets.
Sub-Saharan Africa stands out as the region where most problems still occur.
Oceania is the second worst region for problems.

Question 71

when were the The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) created

Answer 71

In 2015, 17 SDGs were agreed by the UN to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice and tackle climate change by 2030.

Question 72

what are the three strategic focus areas of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
that the SDGs are also connected to

Answer 72

Sustainable development.
Democratic governance and peacebuilding.
Climate and disaster resilience.

Question 73

the sustainability agenda of SDGs

Answer 73

The SDGs and the broader sustainability agenda address the root causes of poverty and the universal need for a style of development that works for all people.
The focus is on the developing world and little is said about the contribution that might be made by the developed world, particularly in terms of aid.