ABSTRACT
The quest for the appropriate model or strategy for economic development in the new nations has created serious disagreements among economists. The disputed alternatives have included: a gradualist or Big Push approach; balanced or imbalanced growth; capital accumulation or institutional change; industry or agriculture; centralized planning or laissez-faire; and import substitution or export promotion. Some economists realize that the reality does not always coincide with this desired emphasis on mass welfare due to the existence of the forces of “economic nationalism.” These forces lead to a stress on economic autarchy, industrialization, economic planning, concern with the public sector, and hostility to foreign enterprise. For the most part, political scientists have not paid much attention to questions of economic development. They have concentrated on political structure and process, deterred by Max Weber’s advice not to examine state behavior from the viewpoint of goals or purposes.
