PLSC 340 The Politics of International Development

Fall 2026

The Politics of International Development

A seminar on foreign aid and international development, taught alongside a live natural experiment: the 2025 dismantlement of USAID. Mondays are discussion; Wednesdays pair that week's theory with a case study on the withdrawal and a policy-memo drill.

Schedule & readings Full syllabus Add to calendar

Course at a glance

Meets
Monday & Wednesday, 3:00–4:20 pm
Location
219 David Kinley Hall
Instructor
Professor Cleo O'Brien-Udry
Office hours
Mon & Wed 1–3 pm · DKH 309
Email
coudry@illinois.edu

Grading

  • 40%Class participation
    Attendance, discussion, weekly reading questions, and memo drills
  • 25%Midterm memo exam
    In-person, proctored, ~90 min, up to 2 pages, unseen article
  • 35%Final memo exam
    In-person, proctored, ~3 hrs, up to 4 pages, unseen article

Weekly reading questions (2–3 per week) are due before each Monday session and count toward participation.

Weeks

  1. Week 1What is international developmentMon Aug 24 · Wed Aug 26
  2. Week 2Development philosophiesMon Aug 31
  3. Week 3GeopoliticsWed Sep 9
  4. Week 4Measuring aidMon Sep 14 · Wed Sep 16
  5. Week 5Public opinionMon Sep 21 · Wed Sep 23
  6. Week 6Development bureaucraciesMon Sep 28 · Wed Sep 30
  7. Week 7Domestic politicsMon Oct 5 · Wed Oct 7
  8. Week 8RefugeesMon Oct 12 · Wed Oct 14
  9. Week 9ConflictMon Oct 19 · Wed Oct 21
  10. Week 10Private actors in international developmentMon Oct 26 · Wed Oct 28
  11. Week 11Aid, trade, and FDIMon Nov 2 · Wed Nov 4
  12. Week 12Migration and remittancesMon Nov 9 · Wed Nov 11
  13. Week 13Culture clashesMon Nov 16 · Wed Nov 18
  14. Week 14Climate change and aidMon Nov 30 · Wed Dec 2
  15. Week 15Semester synthesis discussionMon Dec 7

Memo-writing resources

Both exams are in-person, proctored memo-writing sessions on an unseen article. The memo training arc builds toward them; these are the references the rubric is drawn from.