The study of political development has long been shaped by grand theoretical frameworks – modernization theory, dependency theory, historical institutionalism, democratization studies, etc. Yet, recent transformations – fragmentation of the liberal order, growth of populism, emergence of new development models outside the Western canon – are challenging the explanatory power of established paradigms and calling for theoretical renewal.
This panel examines how contemporary trends in political development are reshaping political theory. As the empirical landscape evolves, so too must the conceptual tools scholars use to analyze it. The uncritical application of Western-centric frameworks to diverse political contexts has produced well-documented distortions, yet the search for alternatives remains unfinished.
The panel invites contributions that engage critically with the intellectual history of political development theory and its contemporary relevance. How do classical concepts such as state capacity, legitimacy, representation, and sovereignty need to be reconceptualized considering current realities?
The panel also addresses the relationship between normative and empirical dimensions of political theory. Can the field move beyond the dichotomy between value-laden prescriptions and ostensibly neutral description? How do power relations within the global academic system shape which theories are produced and legitimized?
This panel aims to contribute to a more reflexive and analytically rigorous framework for understanding political development in the 21st century.
Discussion questions:
How adequate are existing theoretical frameworks for explaining contemporary patterns of political development, and what revisions or replacements do they require?
What can non-Western intellectual traditions contribute to the theory of political development, and how can such contributions be integrated without romanticization or instrumentalization?
How do geopolitical shifts – including the decline of Western hegemony and the rise of alternative development models – reshape the normative foundations and empirical assumptions of political development theory?
