17th Annual Student Research Conference
Social Science
The Effects of Globalization and Free Trade on Developing African States: A Look at Economic and Social Indicators Before and After the World Trade Organization
David J. Korkoian
Dr. John Quinn, Faculty Mentor
Since 1995 when almost all African states joined the World Trade Organization with hope of economic recovery and improved quality of life, neither of these expectations have come true. The World Trade Organization is structured to give countries with weaker economies less say in what happens, and often times no representation at all. This research takes twenty developing African countries with a variety of backgrounds and traces their economic and social development by how much they adhere to the trade-restrictions imposed by the World Trade Organization. Other variables such as urbanization, colonial metropole, regional economic community, state ownership of industry, and access to trade routes are controlled with a most-different comparative design. As these twenty states conform to the trading policies of the World Trade Organization their economies and quality of life suffer.
Keywords: World Trade Organiza, WTO, Africa, Development, underdeveloped, developing, Free trade, globalization
Topic(s):Political Science
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 25-3
Location: OP 2111
Time: 10:30