To what extend has govermental policy been a factor in explaining each country's development trajectory - Essay Example

This can be shown with historical evidence beginning from the development of Britain as an industrialised nation due to the colonisation policies of the time to the current mandates of the IMF and the World Bank which are supposed to help developing nations. Admittedly, it can be said that certain situation and policies might be forced upon some nations and not really accepted by the government therefore calling them government policy is rather an obtuse notion. However, it must be realised that the sovereignty of a government is not infringed upon simply because it has been given some recommendations by the United Nations or other international bodies who aim to help the country in need.

Therefore, any policies established or created by the government have to be seen according to the letter of the law which makes it government policy. During the age of colonisation, the British Empire ruled an area over which the sun never set. The government policy of expansion and increased utilisation of colonies like the Americas and India certainly helped the economic and social development which took place at home. The input gained from commerce, farming and export of material to the American continent was the fundamental reason that led to the industrial revolution and the growth of Britain as a powerhouse amongst its European neighbours.

A detailed record of the relationship between the American colonies and the homeland of Britain shows that the conquest of the Americas can be taken as a founding mechanism and a cornerstone of the industrial revolution that took place in Europe (Hamilton, 1929). Credit must also be given to the scientific development which was slowly taking shape in those times as well as the philosophical changes to the concept of government, but without the governmental policy to support colonisation efforts; such