The Contemporary Transformation of the International System
                                       Professor John Wilton
                                             Lecture 4
           The transformation of the states-system: underdeveloped and developing states



                                                           Lecture 4



Key question = relationship between the State (its internal organisation and external
relationship(s) and position in international system) AND processes and opportunities for
development



      - this relationship is shaped through the degrees of Sovereignty and Autonomy a State
possesses or commands

                                             Lecture 4

State Sovereignty:

“a state’s claim to authority: its claim to a right to rule rooted in recognition of that right by
the state’s own citizens and by other states”



State Autonomy:

“the states ability to rule: its ability to make independent decisions such as policy choices
around an economic development strategy”

                                             Lecture 4

-                         the Autonomy of a state requires Sovereignty

         - (it must have the recognised right to             exercise its authority)



-                         BUT, Sovereignty alone is not a sufficient condition for Autonomy
(autonomous action)

         - many states have Sovereignty, but not      necessarily Autonomy

                                             Lecture 4

A State’s Autonomy has to include 2 things:



     1) Autonomy of the national state from     external pressure;

     2) Autonomy in respect of the State’s relation    to its     own citizens (authority and
legitimacy)

                                             Lecture 4

‘Developmental State’ (Chalmers Johnson)

     - see, Wilton, J. ‘Transformation, stabilisation and growth in the Czech Republic: New
Institutionalism and interactive economic, social and political lessons from the East Asian
miracle’, in Masaryk Universiy, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Transformation,
Stabilisation and Growth, Brno, 2000, pp.481-493.



                                             Lecture 4

Chalmers Johnson’s ‘Developmental State’



      1) an ideological commitment to economic     growth and development;



      2) the capacity of the State to promote that     ideological commitment, and implement
policies to do so.



                                             Lecture 4

The political ‘arena’ in which external (exogenous) intervention in African states has occurred has
been through:

      a) foreign aid;

      b) unfair, exploitative terms of trade with    Western companies

 e.g. Tanzania

  - reached aid agreement with IMF 1986

  - lost autonomy over most policy decisions     1986-1995

  - regained some autonomy/control after 1996