Deck 9: Development: Myths and Realities

Question 1

Three billion people, almost half the world's population, live on less than $2.50 per day.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Overpopulation is not a problem in the developing nations of Africa, which has an average population density of 24 per square mile.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

At the height of colonialism, how many independent nations remained in Africa?

A)0
B)2
C)3
D)6
E)None of the above

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Owing to its economic gains and an impressive growth spurt in recent years, India has surpassed the economy of China.

Question 5

Colonialism is synonymous with modernization and improvement.

Question 6

Where are most of the least developed countries located?

A)East Asia
B)Sub-Saharan Africa
C)Central Europe
D)The Pacific Islands
E)South America and the Caribbean

Question 7

According to UNICEF, over 25,000 children die every day due to poverty.

Question 8

Development brings with it the guarantee of peace and prosperity.

Question 9

What is the "root cause" of the worst problems facing developing nations?

A)Poor public services
B)Endemic poverty
C)Corruption
D)Disease
E)Potable water

Question 10

The greater the distribution of wealth and education in a given society, the more likely that the seeds of democracy will grow.

Question 11

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2008 update, when will the world's population reach 9 billion?

A)2020
B)2030
C)2040
D)2050
E)2060

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a common feature of developing countries?

A)Illiteracy
B)Political instability
C)Ethnic conflict
D)Law and order
E)Inequality

Question 13

The existence of a charismatic leader tends to slow or impede nation-building in developing societies.

Question 14

Although development around the world has improved the conditions of countless people, it is possible for overdevelopment to have negative effects as well.

Question 15

Capitalism was the West's answer to the postcolonial world of corruption and mismanagement, but it was tainted by its close association to colonialism.

Question 16

Terms of trade tend to work against least developed countries.

Question 17

Haiti became the first republic ruled by people of African descent in world history, as well as the first independent Caribbean state.

Question 18

Robert Mugabe has done much to improve the lives of his citizens in Zimbabwe.

Question 19

Kwame Nkrumah's calls for solidarity among former colonial states failed to grow into a lasting movement.

Question 20

Typical developing countries have had to deal with chronic instability, coups, revolutions, civil wars, and genocide due to the vast diversity thrown together by the arbitrary creation of the original colonies around the world.

Question 21

Discuss the four political challenges facing developing nations. What kinds of problems are inherent to each? How can these challenges be met?

Question 22

Which of the following countries is considered to be the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, as well as one of the poorest in the world?

A)Nigeria
B)Somalia
C)Afghanistan
D)Haiti
E)Zimbabwe

Question 23

What term do political scientists use to describe the situation caused by a country's development outstripping its capacity to deal with undesirable side effects?

A)Westernized
B)Developed
C)Underdeveloped
D)Globalized
E)Overdeveloped

Question 24

What does the "green revolution" refer to?

A)A military insurrection in Nicaragua in 1985
B)The dramatic rise in food production produced by modern farming techniques
C)The change in currency that often accompanies modernization
D)Modernization of the Brazilian rain forest
E)The fight to protect the environment in developing countries

Question 25

One obstacle facing many developing countries is monoculture, which is the

A)practice of raising only one major crop.
B)dominance of only one ethnic group.
C)concentration of power in one elite group.
D)practice of interacting only with family members.
E)lack of diversity within large populations.

Question 26

Traditional societies often face which impediments to development?

A)Fatalism
B)Excessive risk-taking
C)Excessive social mobility
D)Lack of skepticism about the motives of foreign developers
E)Unreasonably high expectations concerning one's ability to shape one's destiny

Question 27

Which nation has the title of the "number-one haven for pirates"?

A)Sierra Leone
B)Nigeria
C)South Africa
D)Somalia
E)Afghanistan

Question 28

Which failed state gave the appearance of being a functioning democracy shortly before its collapse?

A)Somalia
B)Haiti
C)Sierra Leone
D)Afghanistan
E)Zimbabwe

Question 29

How has globalization affected development efforts, both internal and external, of least developed countries? Does it provide more opportunities for states to help themselves, or does it make them dependent on outside assistance? Explain.

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT a political correlate of democracy?

A)A differentiated civil society
B)A competitive party system
C)Independent courts
D)Freedom of communication
E)Military control by civilian leadership

Question 31

What are the key obstacles to development? Which of these obstacles could foreign involvement in developing countries help to overcome? Which might such involvement make more difficult?

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT a typical characteristic of traditional societies trying to overcome problems of distribution?

A)High infant mortality rates
B)Low life expectancy
C)Lack of access to basic medical services
D)High levels of poverty and illiteracy
E)All of the above

Question 33

Explain the paradox of Nigeria's failure and India's success.

Question 34

Which of the following would be considered an economic democratic correlate?

A)National wealth
B)An elite ruling class
C)A command economy
D)Social pluralism
E)All of the above

Question 35

Which state was called "the most corrupt government in the world" in the mid-1990s?

A)Sierra Leone
B)Côte d'Ivoire
C)The Democratic Republic of the Congo
D)Nigeria
E)Gambia

Question 36

What is the "key" variable of nation-building?

A)Agricultural expansion
B)Identification of a common, external enemy
C)Charismatic leadership
D)Economic leadership
E)All of the above

Question 37

Colonialism had a major impact on the way that many countries, especially in Africa and Asia, developed over time. How have colonial legacies affected the process of growth since these countries gained independence? How does this history affect more recent attempts to bring development to former colonies, and are these states wise to be wary of outside influence?

Question 38

Which country is adding 14 million new workers every year, about 25 percent of the world's new workers?

A)China
B)Brazil
C)India
D)Russia
E)Nigeria

Question 39

Which of the following is NOT one of the four fundamental political challenges facing developing countries?

A)Nation-building
B)Participation
C)State-building
D)Secularization
E)Distribution of wealth, power, and property

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT an achievement India has made since independence?

A)Civilian control over the military
B)Reduced poverty by more than half
C)Become one of the fastest-growing economies in the world
D)Maintained a parliamentary democracy
E)Dramatically improved literacy and health care delivery

Question 41

What, if any, responsibility does the international political community have to help alleviate the problems of failed states? Explain.