GV4M8      Half Unit
Transnational Actors, Politics and Policymaking in the Global South

This information is for the 2025/26 session.

Course Convenor

Availability

In many non-Western countries, transnational actors play a key role in policymaking, democratic development and political reform: Donors and NGOs facilitate social spending; international organizations provide pressure for economic and political reform; foreign civil organizations fund and monitor elections. The objective of this course is to examine and explain such impacts of transnational actors on contemporary policymaking and democratic development in the Global South. The course will begin with a review of the history and normative challenges posed by the political influence of transnational actors. The course will then look at theory and evidence on how NGOs, foreign donors, civic organisations and international financial institutions shape domestic policy and democratic development. The final part of the course will focus on analysing the successes and failures of global democracy promotion efforts. The course will also require students to apply their accumulated knowledge during a policy simulation activity.

The course is geared towards MSc students interested global politics, especially those pursuing careers in the civil service or related to international organisations, NGOs, civil society or international development.

15 hours of lectures and 20 hours of seminars in the Winter Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.

Presentation

Proposal

All students are expected to produce a research proposal and contribute to in-class discussion and policy simulation activities.

• Jablonski, Ryan S. "How aid targets votes: the impact of electoral incentives on foreign aid distribution." World Politics 66.2 (2014): 293-330.
• Mkandawire, Thandika. "Aid, accountability, and democracy in Africa." Social Research: An International Quarterly 77.4 (2010): 1149-1182.
• Asunka, Joseph, et al. "Electoral fraud or violence: The effect of observers on party manipulation strategies." British Journal of Political Science 49.1 (2019): 129-151.
• Bush, Sarah Sunn, and Lauren Prather. Monitors and meddlers: how foreign actors influence local trust in elections. Cambridge University Press, 2022.
• Krasner, Stephen D., and Jeremy M. Weinstein. "Improving governance from the outside in." Annual Review of Political Science 17.1 (2014): 123-145.
• Andrews, Matt, Lant Pritchett, and Michael Woolcock. Building state capability: Evidence, analysis, action. Oxford University Press, 2017.
• van de Walle, Nicolas. African economies and the politics of permanent crisis, 1979-1999. Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Essay (50%, 3000 words)

Case analysis / study (50%)

The course will be assessed through a research essay (50%, 3,000 words). Additionally, students will be assessed on their participation in a group policy simulation activity (50%). Their mark on this simulation will be based on the team’s in-class presentation, a final written report and a self assessment.