Name: ___________________________
PS 103 Assignment_Structuralism
THE ORIGIN OF POVERTY IN NIGERIA, GUATEMALA, AND COLOMBIA
Bases Nigeria
Descendants of the
Origin of the traditional elite that ruled
Dominant Class or prior to the arrival of British
Powerful Group/s colonization.
-Self made men and state
governors
Leaders have no interest in
Ideas about seeing anti-corruption
Governance by the measures go too far
Powerful Group/s
Realized that using violence
to grab a share of the total
pie hurts everyone’s interest
including their own.
Dictatorship
How the Powerful - Power gained through fatal
Group/s Secured mixture of rent seeking
their Power clientelism and ethnicity.
-The use of violence to hurt
everyone’s interests
Historical Events - Independence from British
that Shaped the Colonization
political
Perspectives of the - Violent and contested
Powerful Group/s elections among civilian and
military governments
- End of military rule in 1999
- Engagement on the
How the Powerful extraction of resources
Group/s Managed
their Country’s -Distribution of resources to
Resources other members of political
elites
$400 billion gained from oil
revenues went to the hands
of political elites.
Guatemala Colombia
Family ties that had The death of Jesus
controlled economic and Castano leading his sons
political power in Guatemala to establish the paramilitary
since 1531. (Los Tangueros)
Those who have economic -Kidnapping and ransom
and political power structure
institutions to ensure -Threat and Violence
continuity of their power
-Support from paramilitary
groups
- The establishment of the History on the violations of
encomienda system and the civil liberties, extrajudicial,
repartimiento by the executions, violence
Spaniards against civilians and civil
war.
-Monopolization of trades of
politicians during the
Spanish Empire
- Taxes they collected
- Development of were just expropriation for
infrastructures was often their own pockets
resisted
- Corruption
-Force labor and Trade
monopoly
Name: ___________________________
PS 103 Assignment_Structuralism

Guided by what you understood from the reading material, answer the following:

1. Explain how class and colonialism contribute to the poverty of nations or states.

Class and colonialism contribute to the poverty of nations in a way that the higher classes
or the so-called elites engages in politics as their route to riches through the means of threat,
violence and fraudulent actions in order to gain more power giving them the control over the
nation’s resources which leads to the unfair and unequal distribution of goods and resources
towards an individual, gaining most of the distribution for their own interests. Since the higher
classes gain most of the nation’s resources from its unfair distribution, people are forcefully
subjected into hunger and poverty and lose their property rights since colonialists or either elites
take their lands as well for economic use essential for plantations, and exploitation of natural
resources available for global trades. In addition, political elites and colonialists refuse to
establish economic developments or infrastructures because they fear that it would become a
threat against their will and personal interests. Lastly, Corruption has been the main issue
between higher classes and colonialists as well since most of their implementations had been
subjected to their own interest bringing the nation into extreme poverty.

2. What historical experience is common in Nigeria, Guatemala, and Colombia do you

consider to be similar to the Philippines’ historical experience? Support your
answer. Is the consequence of this Philippine historical experience similar to the
consequence of the three countries’ common historical experience? Support your
answer.

The Philippines’ historical experiences that are similar to those of the three countries was
the dominance and corruption of the elites or the powerful groups in the nation’s economy and
politics Looking towards the history of the Philippines, starting from the Spanish Regime, all
economic and political control was mostly given to the “Peninsulares and Insulares” (highest
social classes in the period that are mostly Spanish elites) and the Indios (Lowest social class
and composed of all Filipinos) are being subjugated into the encomienda or forced labor,
mistreated and are being deprived towards their rights to liberty and property. Observing our
Philippine politicians in the 21st century, some of them have been involved in corruption and are
charged with plunder such as the likes of Senator Bong Revilla Jr., former Senator Juan Ponce
Enrile and Janet Lim-Napoles due to their involvement to the Pork Barrel scam where
discretionary funds have been misused.

Yes, they are similar to the consequences that the three countries have experienced
because it had affected the lives of many Filipinos in the Philippines especially during the
Spanish regime where their rights were undermined and were subjugated to enter forced labor
and slavery due to threats and violence committed against them. In the 21st century, the country
has experienced extreme poverty under different administrations due to corruption and poor
governance (inconsistency of poverty rate) as well as the poor execution of government projects
(National Housing Authority poor housing projects)
Name: ___________________________
PS 103 Assignment_Structuralism

3. Give one lesson regarding the management of national resources that the Philippines can
learn from Nigeria, Guatemala, and Colombia. Explain the relevance of such lesson to the
Philippines.

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