Governments and Their Agencies (DP IB Global Politics: HL): Revision Note

Governments and their agencies' impact on development

• Government agencies are organisations created by the state to carry out specific functions or deliver public services

  • Government agencies involved in development can include those linked to finance, trade, health, justice and education

• The relationship between government and development is complex and variable, and depends upon a range of factors

Factors affecting the relationship between government and development

Theoretical context

• Realists say that all governments prioritise the approaches to development that best suit the state’s need for security and power

• Liberals argue that a multifaceted approach to development leads to a stable and secure society

Government interactions with other actors and stakeholders within the state

• Other actors within the state who interact with government include:

  • civil society, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

  • companies

  • political leaders

  • social movements

  • resistance movements

  • the media

• If people and groups outside the government can influence decisions, there are more connections between different actors and levels of government

  • Civil society might advocate for better access to healthcare or improved educational facilities

  • Environmental groups may advocate for investment in wind turbines or solar energy

  • Political leaders from other parties may challenge the government to do more to develop society, based on their own understanding of what development means

  • Protest movements may advocate for justice and greater political rights

  • Companies may advocate for favourable treatment to improve economic growth

• In single-party or autocratic states governments may still interact with other actors as necessary in order to promote their own vision of development

  • However, the will of the government will always dominate

Stakeholders 

• Stakeholders are people in a country who are affected by development decisions but do not try to influence government policies directly

  • In democracies governments may be keen to understand the impact on stakeholders if they hope to stay in power at the next election

  • The needs of marginalised or vulnerable people and groups may or may not be considered, depending on the will of the government

Government interactions with IGOs

• IGOs (Intergovernmental Organisations) are organisations made up of multiple governments that work together to achieve shared goals, often on international issues like security, trade or human rights

• States must, to some extent, pool their sovereignty to be a member of an IGO

  • Many do so because of the hope that the membership will facilitate development

• Combined efforts to share expertise and devise strategies can support governments as they work on development

  • For example, the UN ‘s Sustainable Development Goals provide a shared framework of targets and guidance to promote economic, social and environmental development

• Some IGOs, such as the World Bank, focus on poverty reduction and support state governments with development projects through loans

  • It lends money to and supports economic reform policies for its poorest member governments

  • However, the World Bank is criticised because richer countries have more voting power, meaning states like the USA, UK, Germany, Japan and France have the most influence over its decisions

  • Some also criticise the conditions the World Bank sets for loans, arguing they can sometimes harm sustainable development

• Other IGOs specifically focus on economic development

  • For example, the International Maritime Organisation regulates global shipping to ensure safe, efficient trade while helping states improve their maritime standards and infrastructure

• Because of state sovereignty, government interaction with IGOs can only occur if the government approves

  • However, all states are interested in development and very impoverished states have few other options

Government interactions with TNCs and MNCs

• Government interactions with transnational corporations (TNCs) and multinational companies (MNCs) can have both positive and negative impacts on development.

• Some TNCs and MNCs have more wealth than the less economically developed states with which they interact

  • Whether this imbalance of economic power is always a problem is debatable

  • However, there are some widely accepted positive and negative effects of governments working with TNCs and MNCs

Impacts for governments working with TNCs and MNCs