S/S/58. Discuss the role that the state can play in deliberate development in Less Developed Countries in the 21st century.

This paper looks at the role that the state has and should play in deliberate development in Less Developed Countries. The problematic role of the state as a provider of the public's needs is discussed and whether alternative agencies can and should fulfil this role. This paper also looks at whether the state should (or is able to) set development priorities (e.g. economic or social), and whether states have become facilitators of the development plans of international organisations. The context of World Bank Structural adjustment policies and conditionality are also discussed.