Poverty appears to be among the most stubborn problems facing the countries generally considered to be Third World. Growth and development have evaded many countries in Africa and Asia in particular. Even the remarkable growth that has been experienced by China and India do not appear to be easily replicated in other geographical regions of the Third World. The authors whose books we read have provided a mixed bag of solutions, and have argued persuasively for their particular perspectives on poverty reduction in the Third World. Yet, no single author or group of authors, seems to have identified a set of workable solutions, which would eliminate the abysmal poverty of the poorest - the bottom billion - of the Third World's population. With the foregoing in mind:

(a) Critically assess the texts studied in this course, and explain which text(s) provided the most feasible and practical approaches to poverty reduction among Third World countries.

(b) Discuss why China and India have been able to enjoy such remarkable growth. Why has the example of China been so difficult to replicate in other regions of the Third World?

(c) A common theme in the course texts is the role of institutions in laying the foundation for growth and development in the Third World. Justify this emphasis on institutionalization by citing and discussing some concrete examples of countries in the Third World, whose socio-economic and political development depended heavily upon institutional development.