1. (40 points) Indicate and discuss the unique characteristics of East Asian capitalism.

2. (40 points) Compare US capitalism to continental Western European capitalism, with a discussion of the differences between the two capitalisms. Discuss.

3. (20 points) In about 2-3 paragraphs, indicate the major ideas of Marxian economics.

1. Discuss the reasons for the failure of reform in Russia, 1992 to the present, that result from policies and actions taken after 1991, the year of the fall of the Soviet Union.

2. Compare the Japanese and US economies, with special emphasis on characteristics of the Japanese economy that have contributed to Japan's success or failure. Discuss.

1. Assess Mexico's economic development in the last two decades, with particular emphasis on the 1990s. What have been the sources of Mexico's economic problems? What have been the sources of Mexico's economic success? Discuss.

2. Discuss the reasons for sub-Saharan Africa's poverty and underdevelopment.

1. Discuss the reasons for sub-Saharan Africa's poverty and underdevelopment. Discuss policies to increase sub-Saharan Africa's economic growth.

2. Compare Russia's economy to China's economy, especially during the periods of reform. Indicate the reasons for the differences in success between the reforms in Russia and China. Discuss.

3. Compare Japan's economy to the economy of continental Europe. Indicate the similarities and differences in the economies. Discuss.

4. Discuss the major differences between the liberals (the dominant position of the rich capitalist economies) and the UN General Assembly (the dominant position of the developing countries) concerning changes in the international economic order. Indicate the strengths and weaknesses of both the liberal and UN General Assembly visions and proposals.

Write the following two essays, each in no more than five single-spaced elite (12 spaces per inch) typewritten equivalent pages. Be sure to cite sources, e.g. (Schnitzer, 368), (Lecture, April 26, 1999). For sources outside Schnitzer or the lecture, list, e.g., as (Smith 1998: 36-38) for author, year, and pages in text; in the references (not to be included in the five single-spaced limit for each essay), include author, title, publishing information if book (city, publishing company, year, and pages, if relevant) or journal (name of journal, volume number, date, page numbers).

1. Discuss economic inequality between genders in developed countries, especially in recent years. Discuss the reasons for gender inequality. [You may substitute for "developed countries" one of the following: "the world;" "developing countries;" "transitional countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union;" a developing-country world region; or one of the countries included in the Schnitzer textbook.] or Discuss the extent to which one of the communist countries (for example, Russia) followed the Marxist model for economic development.

2. Compare the recent economic development of two or the following countries: Nigeria, South Africa, and Mexico. [Or "Compare the recent economic development of Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa."]

The essays are due at the time of the final examination.