This course examines the key challenges to good governance in Asia.  Poor governance is generally interdependent with ‘state-weakness’ and the course demonstrates how this mix is evidenced by gaps in regime legitimacy, state capacity and/or human security. Moreover, the course examines how these factors contribute to increased poverty, environmental degradation, communal violence, transnational crime, corruption and the propensity of a government to resort to violence in the resolution of disputes. Furthermore, the emphasis of the course on human security is essential not only because of its nexus with state weakness and poor governance, but also because of how significant ‘insecurity’ has the potential to undermine the stability of the state and exacerbate the risk of armed conflict – at the domestic and/or transnational levels. Finally, the course examines potential avenues to improve governance in Asia including political and security sector reforms, military and civil service professionalization programs, development aid and regionalism (e.g. ASEAN).

On satisfying the requirements of this course students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the nexus between state-weakness, poor governance and human in-security together with their associated consequences for Australia’s national security.
2. Critically assess Australian and international policy responses to both the domestic causes and transnational effects of poor governance and state weakness in Asia.
3. Demonstrate a capacity for critical reflection so that the assumptions underpinning security and development concepts and policies can be effectively scrutinised.
4. Communicate effectively in verbal, written and group contexts to a professional academic standard.
5. Exercise attention to detail and analytical rigour in academic writing and analysis.
6. More effectively design and complete a research paper.
7. Conduct research in libraries and archives and also utilise relevant internet resources.
8. Appropriately reference sources and quotations utilised in scholarly writing.

6000 words in total

Class Presentation: 10%

Essay Proposal: 10%

Research Essay: 40%

Exam: 40%

The workload will be one 2-hour seminar per week (plus presentations) with the expectation of a further 8 hours per week of independent study.

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There is no required or assumed knowledge for this course. A basic understanding of international affairs, security studies, development studies, and/or Asia would be beneficial.