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Indicators of development in developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa,
Asia and Latin America.
Compare and contrast GDP per capita and other measures of economic and
social development, e.g. life expectancy, literacy rates, the proportion
of population employed in agriculture.
Absolute and relative poverty.
Understand the distinction between these terms.
The causes of economic growth in developing countries.
Examine the sources of economic growth and the extent to which they can
be affected by government intervention.
The significance of economic growth for development:
" the role of both physical and human capital
" technological progress
Differences between developing countries.
Compare how the record of economic development differs in sub-Saharan
Africa, Asia and Latin America and explain reasons for these differences.
The costs of economic growth.
Analyse the external costs associated with development, e.g. deforestation,
environmental degradation.
Constraints on economic growth.
Evaluate the impact of different obstacles to economic growth, e.g. rapid
population growth, lack of finance dependency on primary products, debt,
corruption.
Development strategies.
The development of particular sectors of the economy:
" Agriculture: Analyse the problem of primary product dependency.
" Industry: Examine the nature and impact of inward and outward looking
trade strategies, import substitution and export promotion policies.
" Tourism: Analyse the benefits and costs of developing tourism.
Sources of external finance.
Private sector finance especially from multinational firms.
Evaluate the role, benefits and disadvantages of foreign direct investment
(FDI) by MNCs in the developing countries.
Government assistance.
Evaluate the role, benefits and disadvantages of official development
assistance (aid). Examine the case for and against debt forgiveness.
The IMF and IBRD (World Bank).
Evaluate the roles of both of the Bretton Woods institutions in providing
financial assistance to developing countries.
Structural adjustment policies.
Explain the repercussions of such policies, e.g. trade liberalisation and expenditure reductions on the economy and human welfare.