Degree Name

Department

Economics

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Defense Date

2018-06-25

Publication Date

2018-07-12

First Faculty Advisor

Joel Selway

First Faculty Reader

Olga Stoddard

Honors Coordinator

John Stovall

Keywords

Constitution, Burma, Independence, British Policy

Abstract

This thesis investigates—through a case study of the independence process in Burma—what, if any, specific policies the British established and followed in granting independence to their former colonies. The author investigates the development of institutions in the first Burma constitution through primary source documents. Statements of policy found indicate that the British strove to create a policy of protection and representation of minorities, encouragement of democracy mirroring Western constitutions, and a desire to establish stability in the region and preserve self-interests. Documents indicate a large disparity between policy and practice. The author concludes that this disparity is caused primarily by economic and political constraints and a prioritization of domestic economic policy, not an absence of colonial policy.

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