Chapter 9. Development: Myths and Realities Learning Objectives · 1Explain the concept of development in the study of politics and economics. · 2Discuss the challenges involved in building a new nation-state. · 3Compare and evaluate India and Nigeria as models of economic development. · 4Identify and elaborate on five obstacles to development. · 5Choose one failed state, describe how it failed, and analyze the failure. · 6Explain why failed states pose problems for regional stability and world order. This chapter focuses on the problems arising in the context of too little development too late, rather than too much too soon. We use the term least developed countries (LDCs), a term adopted by the United Nations, instead of “developing countries” (see Table 9.1). LDCs encompass the poorest of the poor. Table 9.1. The World’s Least Developed Countries* Africa (33) 1 Angola 2 Benin 3 Burkina Faso 4 Burundi 5 Central African Republic 6 Chad 7 Comoros 8 Democratic Republic of the Congo 9 Djibouti 10 Equatorial Guinea 11 Eritrea 12 Ethiopia 13 Gambia 14 Guinea 15 Guinea-Bissau 16 Lesotho 17 Liberia 18 Madagascar 19 Malawi 20 Mali 21 Mauritania 22 Mozambique 23 Niger 24 Rwanda 25 São Tomé and Príncipe 26 Senegal 27 Sierra Leone 28 Somalia 29 Sudan 30 Togo 31 Uganda 32 United Republic of Tanzania 33 Zambia Asia and Pacific (15) 1 Afghanistan 2 Bangladesh 3 Bhutan 4 Cambodia 5 Kiribati 6 Lao People’s Democratic Republic 7 Myanmar 8 Nepal 9 Samoa 10 Solomon Islands 11 Timor-Leste 12 Tuvalu 13 Vanuatu 14 Yemen 15 Maldives Latin America and the Caribbean (1) 1 Haiti SOURCE: United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries. http://www.unohrlls.org/en/home/. During the second half of the last century, the West lumped Africa, Asia, and Latin America together into what was commonly called the Third World. In this narrative, the First World was epitomized by the United States, Western Europe and Japan, plus Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—rich countries with stable societies and well-established democratic political institutions. The citizens of these fortunate states were free to criticize the government. The communist states—Soviet Russia and Eastern Europe—comprised the Second World. All the rest were known as the Third World, collectively referred to as “underdeveloped” or “less developed” countries. Today it is considered politically incorrect to use such pejorative terms. Indeed, the term “developing countries” is rarely used to describe the former colonies. Many of these countries now have diversified economies, meaning they are no longer simply agrarian or nomadic but have industries and service sectors as well. Indeed, major companies in the United States and Europe outsource manufacturing and services to China, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia where labor costs (wages) are low. In fact, all countries are developing, no matter how rich or how poor. Indeed, if some countries are not developed enough to sustain them.