Re: Need Help from WSN

At 02:57 PM 8/10/00 -0500, Robert Howard Watrel wrote:
>Dear Friends of WSN,
>
>       I have been subscribed to this group for several years and I guess
>it is my turn to ask for some help. I am a geography grad student working
>on my dissertation on voting patterns in North Dakota (ND) from 1889 to
>present. Besides looking at the internal voting coalitions that have
>developed in ND's history in gubernatorial and presidential elections, I
>am also examining the dynamics between local-national politics (through
>elections) of a peripheral place (in this case an agricultural
>hinterland). 
>
>       Although ND is not thought of as a radical state now, it has had
>some radical agrarian movements in its history. Most notable was the
>Nonpartisan League (NPL) 1915-1922, a socialist lead movement that
>captured the Republican state party through the direct primary because
>neither party had much sympathy for their main constituents: the farmers.
>Although the NPL control of state government was short lived, some of the
>policies enacted by the NPL to help reduce their economic dependency on
>outside interests are still functioning today. For example, ND is the only
>state with a state owned bank (the Bank of North Dakota) for low interest
>loans to farmers, a state owned grain elevator, and state owned mill that
>produces flour that is still sold commercially (Dakota Maid flour). This
>may be the only state made product, excluding license plates and other
>products made in prisons, sold commercially.  In my mind, this could be
>what Wallerstein has termed a "revolt of the periphery" except on a
>smaller scale and within a federal system of government.  In my case it
>would be a revolt of a peripheral state within a core country.
>
>       I need help finding literature on politics and economic
>relationships of peripheral places especially peripheral places in core
>countries.   Are there any types of models or case studies of peripheral
>areas that could be of use?    
>
>Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Bob Watrel
>University of Nebraska                         
>
>
>



There is a literature on "internal colonialism" that might be useful to
you.  You can find a survey of some "golden oldies" in this literature in
Chapter 7 of this book:

Chilcote, Ronald H.  _Theories of Comparative Politics:  The Search for a
Paradigm_.  Boulder, Colo.:  Westview Press, 1981.

There is, of course, much more recent literature.  You might want to check
out the following sources:

Jacobs, Jane.  Cities and the wealth of nations: principles of economic
life. New York: Random House, 1984.

Amin, Ash, and Nigel Thrift, eds.  Globalization, institutions, and
regional development in Europe.  New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Cox, Kevin R.  Spaces of globalization : reasserting the power of the
local. New York: Guilford Press, 1997.

[You will find ample sources in the literature from geography.  The latter
two books can be a starting point.  Check out also journals on urban
studies].   
 
 
--
Jeffrey L. Beatty
Doctoral Student
Department of Political Science
The Ohio State University
2140 Derby Hall
154 North Oval Mall
Columbus, Ohio 43210

(o) 614/292-2880
(h) 614/688-0567

Email:  Beatty.4@osu.edu
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