Comparative Political Development

1. Essays should be no more than 5 pages, not including references and any tables. They
   should be double-spaced with 1" margins and 12-point font.
2. Your research should focus on either one of the following questions:
   Does ___ promote (or reduce) good governance?
   Does good governance promote (or reduce) _?
   If you would like to address a question that differs from either of those above, you must
   consult with me first.
3. A guide to the data for governance (Worldwide Governance Indicators) will be provided
   on our course webpage. You must use the Worldwide Governance Indicators for your
   measure of governance. To understand the data, read the uploaded file “Governance
   Matters Brief.” Links to other sites will also be provided for sources to other variables
   that you may want to use. If you would like to use a source of data not listed on our
   course webpage, you must consult with me first.
4. This is not a creative writing assignment. Political science papers are more akin to lab
   reports. Clear and concise writing will be rewarded. See the “Writing Assignment
   Grade Template” in our course webpage for a detailed look at how your papers will
   be graded.
5. Your essay should be the product of your own labor. Academic dishonesty in any form
   will result in an F for the paper.
6. Late papers will be docked 1/3 of a letter grade for each day outstanding. If you would
   like to submit your paper early, you may drop your essay in my mailbox in the Political
   Science Department office (4th Floor, Kerr Hall 469). Be sure to have your essay timestamped so that I know that you handed the paper in before the due date. You can drop
   off your essay any time before the due date.
   TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE FOR INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE SUBSTANCE
   OF YOUR ESSAYS
   Specific Instructions: Your essay should consist of 6 parts.
   Parts A & B below should be no more than 1 paragraph. (For examples, see the following page)
   A. Research Question/Purpose
   B. Theoretical and/or policy implications of your project (Why is your research question
   an important topic to study?)
   Part C below should be no more than 2 paragraphs!
   C. Summary of previous work--Choose any article from reading list that you can link to
   your research question. If you would like to choose an article that is not on the
   reading list, you must consult with me first.
   Be sure to include the following:
7. The main research question addressed by the article
8. The main hypothesis/es tested
9. How key variables were defined and operationalized (DV and IVs indicated in
   hypotheses only. No need to discuss controls).
10. The number and nature of the cases included in the study
11. The main results of the study
    Part D, E and F are the most important parts of your essay! Spend most of your time and pages
    on these sections
    D. Your Contribution to the Literature
    Be sure to discuss the following:
12. How your study will differ from the one described above.
13. The hypotheses you will be testing.
14. Your theory of how/why the variable you have chosen to study is associated
    with governance.
    This can be in the form of:
    I think _ promotes good governance because… I think good governance promotes _____ because
15. Definitions and operationalization for the variables you will be including in
    your analysis.
16. Description of your sample of cases (must be at least three cases).
    E. Analysis: Description of your findings (i.e, does the data you collected support your
    hypothesis?
    F. Conclusions and implications
17. Briefly restate your conclusions
18. Specific policy implications from your findings or questions for future research
    Note: References and tables should be on separate pages.
    Examples for Parts A & B:
    Paraphrased from: Alberto Ades and Rafael Di Tella, “National Champions and Corruption:
    Some Unpleasant Interventionist Arithmetic.”
    The role of active industrial policy in promoting economic growth is the subject of
    ongoing debate. Those in favor of active industrial policy use arguments that range from the
    traditional notions of externalities and learning curves to more colorful ideas about the benefits
    of supporting investment in high value added sectors using sophisticated technologies. Those
    against active industrial policy point out the lack of convincing empirical evidence on the
    benefits of industrial policy. We do not question whether industrial policy promotes investment.
    Instead, we take the need for active industrial policy as given and investigate whether some of its
    side effects compromise the achievement of its goals. Our aim is to examine whether the possible
    benefits of interventionist industrial policies such as the promotion of investment or the support
    of R&D must be qualified down in the presence of corruption. Our results provide lessons for
    policymakers considering adopting industrial policy.
    Paraphrased from: James E. Rauch and Peter B. Evans, “Bureaucratic Structure and Bureaucratic
    Performance in less Developed Countries”
    The role of the quality of state institutions in the process of economic growth is being
    increasingly recognized in recent research. While the cross-country statistical evidence
    reinforces the idea that differential governmental performance may have an impact on economic
    growth, it tells us little about what kind of institutional characteristics are associated with lower
    levels of corruption or red tape. The aim of this paper is to identify such characteristics. Our
    findings will be an important step forwards in the effort to uncover the determinants of effective
    bureaucratic performance.
    Paraphrased from: Barbara Geddes, “A Game Theoretic Model of Reform in Latin American
    Democracies:
    Bureaucratic inefficiency, patronage-induced overstaffing, and outright corruption retard
    economic development and reduce public well-being in developing countries. They prevent
    governments from effectively carrying out the economic plans to which they devote so
    much official attention, and deprive citizens of government services to which they are legally
    entitled. Nevertheless, the initiation of reforms has proved difficult. In this essay I examine why
    civil service reforms that are widely regarded as necessary and desirable often face such severe
    obstacles to their initiation. Identifying conditions that impede civil service reforms is a
    necessary step in building an effective state.

Sample Solution