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The Role Weak Institutions in Underdeveloped Countries

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Assignment 1: The Role Weak Institutions in Underdeveloped Countries
Courtney Roseman
Dr. John Croin
SOC 300-020 Society of Developing Countries
01/24/2016

How would you survive off of $2 a day as a family of four? Living on in one of the wealthiest nations on Earth that's not a question the citizen of the United States would have to trouble themselves with every day. In comparison to other countries around the world, that's their day to day reality. Living on two dollars a day limits their ability to necessities like clean drinking water, food, shelter. Access to healthcare, education and jobs are all limited resources when the question of survival depends on the inconceivable amount of money for survival. The need for survival doesn't become a paycheck to paycheck instance like in developed countries, but the need for survival is a day to day function. "Poverty is defined as the state or condition of having little or no money, goods or means of support (Poverty)." Many around the world ask the constant question of why we should care about developing the world. The connectedness of the world shows when problems arise in other countries it has the abilities to affect us and their allies. The paper will look into the underdevelopment of Gaza by identifying the weak institutions that make it so difficult to advance development, analyze the specific actions that the leadership of Gaza has taken and discuss whether or not the state's private institutions are working to improve development in Gaza. Gaza is the developing country I chose to further research about developing countries and citizens and governments way of life. Gaza is located in the country of Israel on the west coast called the Gaza Strip along the Mediterranean Sea northeast of Sinai Peninsula. The Gaza Strip is under Palestine control and considered separate from Israel. The country of Israel was predominately under Palestine rule and through the course of takeovers Israel overtook the land. Nearly half of the people living in refugee camps in Gaza and the Gaza strip. One of the main reasons for the lack of development is the wars and bombing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Israelis and Arabs have been fighting on and off for decades. "In 1948, the two sides went to war. When it ended, Gaza was controlled by Egypt and another area, the West Bank, by Jordan. But then, in 1967, after another war, Israel occupied these Palestinian areas, and Israeli troops stayed there for years. Israel finally left Gaza in 2005 but soon after, a group called Hamas won elections and took control there (Guide: Why are Israel and the Palestinians fighting over Gaza?)." After free elections and Hamas took over they were viewed as a terrorist group which added to Gaza being more undeveloped. With Hamas in control over the Gaza strip and violence among Israel has increased. There are roughly 1.5 million Palestinians who live in Gaza. Gaza doesn't have control over the entries and exits of the coastline. With Israel in control of the border, they dictate what comes in and out of Gaza. Restrictions will limit aid assistance, import of clean water, food or land for expansion. "The reasons for their underdevelopment are numerous, ranging from, poverty, political instability, corruption, externally oriented economy, ethnicity, conflicts, weak states, poor leadership (Ukafia)." Life expectancy in Gaza is 73 years old. Gaza has the highest unemployment rate that's a result of the wars in Gaza. One could argue a dependency theory that Israel is more developed than Gaza and the Gaza strip and are actively working to keep Gaza down in an attempt to preserve their dominance over the country. Israel is utilizing the breakdown of Gaza's government. As mentioned before Gaza in 2006 had a free election in which Hamas was elected. "Hamas was founded by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a Palestinian cleric who became an activist in local branches of the Muslim Brotherhood after dedicating his early life to Islamic scholarship in Cairo (Laub, 2014)." The leadership of Hamas has their hands in political, military and social functions. With the world viewing Hamas as terrorist one would like to know how they are being funded to ensure its dictatorship over Gaza and the Gaza strip. Hamas is not receiving assistance from the United States and those in the European Union. Those who are funding Hamas are from Palestinian expatriates, private donors, Iran and some Islamic charities. Hamas levied a tax on the traffic of trade when the borders of Egypt and Israel became closed. There was a discovery of various trade tunnels and routes into Egypt to aid with food, medicine, cheap gas, cash, and arms.
"Hamas' primary base of operation is in the Gaza Strip, the coastal enclave of 1.7 million Palestinians, where it has remained the de facto authority since shortly after Israel's unilateral withdrawal in 2005. The following year, Hamas surprised Western observers by winning a majority of seats by a narrow margin and forming a government (Laub, 2014)."
Hamas was into suicide bombing, armed resistance, kidnapping, arsenals of rockets. Various countries were brokering a ceasefire deal or offering aid assistance to Gaza in the prevention of war. As long as Gaza is at war with Israel their foreign aid is non-existent and unsupported by the US, European Union (EU), United Nations (UN) and Russia. Gaza government would need to have reconciliation between themselves and Israel. Gaza doesn't want to appear to be politically or economically weak. Gaza relies on its imports from Egypt and Israel for survival and exports into Europe for citrus fruit, wheat and olives to generate money for Gaza. "Hamas wants to see an end to attacks on Gaza, and to see the territory opened up to the world, with restrictions at its border crossings eased, an end to the maritime blockade, and the reduction of the buffer zone around Gaza, which has seen one-third of its agricultural land placed out of the reach of Gazan citizens (Jones, 2012)." Gaza's domestic institutions aren't working to improve development in Gaza. Gaza wants Palestine to take over the land and not recognize Israel in any way. Gaza wants a middle class to be able to raise standards of living. With the increase in the level of life, they wonder if Israel will limit the rapid changes and cause problems for the economy of Gaza. The government is viewed as being corrupted and terrorist threat to the world. Continuously going into wars will bankrupt Gaza and allow Israel or allies of Israel to take over the Palestine territory and run the Arabs into a new land. "The already large fiscal financing gap could further widen if a possible reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas quickly translates into absorbing large numbers of additional civil servants while revenues from Gaza to cover their salaries are slower to materialize (West Bank and Gaza)." "In addition to eight years of economic blockade, over the past six years, Gaza has endured three military operations that have shattered its ability to export and produce for the domestic market, ravaged its already debilitated infrastructure, and left no time for reconstruction and economic recovery (Gaza could become uninhabitable in less than five years due to ongoing 'de-development'– UN report)." The government isn't worried about when work is coming to the citizens for survival, or they wouldn't have over 95 percent is drinking from a gulf that isn't clean drinking water. Hamas isn't concerned with having the highest rate of unemployment. With the increase of no employment will lead to higher crime rates in this city as people do anything to survive. Hamas could quickly resolve the differences between themselves and Israel so that both countries can exist peacefully in one country with a jihad. A solution would be to do another free election and get citizens to vote out Hamas to see what aid comes in through as the result of a new government in place fighting for the protection of the citizens and cultivating a relationship with Israel. This paper will look into the underdevelopment of Gaza by identifying the weak institutions that make it so difficult to advance development, analyze the specific actions that the leadership of Gaza has taken and discuss whether or not the state's civic institutions are working to improve development in Gaza. Poverty is a gift and curse. Poverty exists without means of the necessities but aid can be received to assist with creating growth economically and socially. Undeveloped countries have limited access to water, healthcare, education, food and shelter. Most of the people living in Gaza live in refugee camps which mean they are confined to a small space unable to expand the country and substantial growth. If $ 2 a day was an impossible thought think about living off a $1 a day as a family of four?

Bibliography

Gaza could become uninhabitable in less than five years due to ongoing 'de-development'– UN report. (2015, September 01). Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51770

Guide: Why are Israel and the Palestinians fighting over Gaza? (2015, February 20). Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/20436092

West Bank and Gaza. (2014). International Monetary Fund, 1-39. Retrieved January 24, 2014, from https://www.imf.org/external/country/WBG/RR/2014/063014.pdf.

Jones, B. (2012, November 24). Q&A: What is Hamas? - CNN.com. Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/16/world/meast/hamas-explainer/

Laub, Z. (2014, August 1). Hamas- Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.cfr.org/israel/hamas/p8968

Poverty. (n.d.). Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/poverty

Ukafia, A. (n.d.). POVERTY, THE MAJOR CAUSE OF UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES. Retrieved January 24, 2016, from http://www.academia.edu/6828771/POVERTY_THE_MAJOR_CAUSE_OF_UNDERDEVEPMENT_IN_THIRD_WORLD_COUNTRIES

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