Empirical Tests of Dependency Theory: a Second Critique of Methodology

Abstract

Dependency theory has sometimes been called a perspective, rather than a theory, due to the multiplicity of often contrasting arguments attributed to it. Nevertheless, the theses of such well-known authors as Samir Amin and Cohn Leys have gained general recognition as representative of the theory. Both attempt to explain the general causes of underdevelopment, notably those factors underlying the poor sectoral articulation, skewed demand profile, and uneven economic growth of many Third-World countries. They argue that their long-run development is stifled by certain domestic class formations and relationships with international capital, thereby producing dependent economic structures.