Assignment
Worksheet: Nation-Building, Free Trade, and International Economics in US-Asia relations
Answer the following questions. Do not exceed front and back of this paper.
1. Ha-Joon Chang is a prominent economist; according to him, today's "Free Trade" acolytes have got it all wrong when it comes to economic development and aid in the developing world. In your words, what is his basic argument? Do you think his argument applies to the United States, too, as Trump is trying to implement it? Why or why not?
2. Do a little bit of Internet research, and write here a basic definition of nation-building. What is it? What are some examples of successful, and failed, nation-building? How are "economic" issues involved?
3. Gregg Brazinsky offers a case study of one of America's "success stories" in nation-building. This story is usually told as a case of successful East Asian "culture" (one of the great Asian tigers!), and of American aid/enterprise ("Free Trade"!) helping an economically "closed" Asian people and culture. His article challenges this myth by showing how South Korean officials had a very different economic view of how South Korea should develop-and did this successfully without simply following US formulas. How did South Koreans and Americans view the ROK economy differently, and how does this complicate any simplistic, stereotypical pro-"Free Trade" view of how the ROK developed with US aid and advice?
4. Identify at least two concepts or quotes from the readings that you would like elaborated in classand why.