REVISITING THE DEBATE BETWEEN DEPENDENCY THEORY AND NEOLIBERALISM: EXPLAINING ARGENTINA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FROM 1880-2010

Leigh Cummins Adviser: Dr. Miguel Centellas

INTRODUCTION

o Topic was inspired by study abroad in Argentina

o Interest in global economics and business

o Thesis combines both

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RESEARCH QUESTION

Does Dependency Theory or Neoliberalism better explain periods of success/failure in Argentina’s economy during the last century?

FRAMEWORK: SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT

Dependency Theory Emerged in 1950s Based on work by Raúl

Prebisch and Hans Singer Divides the core and

periphery to explain developmental difference

Promoted ISI

Neoliberalism Similar to classical

liberalism Revived in the 1970s, 1980s Theory aimed to resolve

failures caused by ISI Washington Consensus,

Chicago school

HYPOTHESIS Tentatively, that Argentina

has been more successful when following the model of Neoliberal economics

However, both theories will be tested and analyzed

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Photo by Leigh Cummins

RESEARCH DESIGN

Methodology includes: o Incorporating existing data sets

o World Bank, ECLACo If I cannot find data for certain time periods, I will

use secondary sources for those timeso Also, possible to change time frame of project

o Specific indicators: GDP per capita, poverty rates, HDI, literacy rates (possibly more TBD)

OUTLINE Thesis

Ch. 1: Introduction Based on prospectus,

background information and interest

Ch. 2: Review of Literature Initial explanation of

foundation of project Ch. 3: Economic History of

Argentina

Ch. 4: Analysis and Application

Ch. 5: Conclusion

Future plans: Continue

research/reading Incorporate data Complete analysis

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHYCardoso, Fernando Enrique and Enzo Faletto. Dependency and Development in Latin

America. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1979.Collier, Paul. The Bottom Billion. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2007.Curry, Jeffrey Edmund. International Economics. Novato, CA: World Trade Press, 2000.Kent, Robert B. Latin America: Regions and People. New York, NY: The Guilford Press,

2006.Love, Joseph L. “Raúl Prebisch and the Origins of the Doctrine of Unequal Exchange.”

Latin American Research Review 15, no. 3 (1980) : 45-72. Oatley, Thomas. International Political Economy. New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008.Sachs, Jeffrey. The End of Poverty. New York, NY: Penguin Books, 2005. Thorsen, Dag Einar and Amund Lie. “What is Neoliberalism?”. Norway: University of Oslo,

2000.