Assignment:
Your final paper should run about 8 to 12 pages and is due on the last day of class. You should also be prepared to give a brief presentation on your paper during the last week of classes.
Structure
This is a traditional research paper. You should begin with a question or series of questions, your account of research and the state of debate on your question and a conclusion based on your research.
Topics
The topic must be related to the theme of the course - the development and current state of the economies of Asia. Note: I do not want any papers on either Abenomics or the financial crisis in East Asia, though you could write a paper on a country's performance since the crisis.
Other possible topics may include:
• To what extent have the major economies of Asia relied on state-led development?
• What has been the role of export-led growth in Asia (or in a particular country)?
• How important has the use of capital and exchange controls been in countries that have used them (India, China, Malaysia)?
• What has been the role of the IMF in Asia?
• Are the growth rates of India and/or another country or group of countries sustainable?
• What is the role of trade with China and Japan in the development of other economies in Asia?
• What kind of development path has a particular country pursued? (Any Asian country)
• To what extent has the development of the smaller economies of Asia (or a particular country) been driven by FDI from other countries?
• To what extent has the development of Asian economies (or a particular country) been driven by low wages?
• What do social indicators tell us about the state of human development in Asia (or in a particular country)?
• How have economic reforms in, for example, India, China and Vietnam affected living standards and social indicators?
• What is the status of women in a country or countries?
You may also choose a historical topic, like whether conditions improved for working people under Maoism in China, whether India's five year plans were successful in alleviating poverty.
These are just ideas. You may choose to write on any relevant topic. A case study of a country we didn't cover or from a region we didn't cover (like central Asia) might be interesting. You may want to run your topic by me to make sure it's manageable and related to the course.