African economies and the politics of permanent crisis, 1979-1999

Resource Information

The work African economies and the politics of permanent crisis, 1979-1999 represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in European University Institute. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Language Material, Books.

Label

African economies and the politics of permanent crisis, 1979-1999

Statement of responsibility

Nicolas van de Walle

Title variation

African Economies & the Politics of Permanent Crisis, 1979–1999

Creator

• Van de Walle, Nicolas, 1957-

Subject

• Africa -- Economic conditions -- 1960-
• Africa -- Economic policy
• Africa -- Politics and government

Language

eng

Summary

This 2001 book explains why African countries have remained mired in a disastrous economic crisis since the late 1970s. It shows that dynamics internal to African state structures largely explain this failure to overcome economic difficulties rather than external pressures on these same structures as is often argued. Far from being prevented from undertaking reforms by societal interest and pressure groups, clientelism within the state elite, ideological factors and low state capacity have resulted in some limited reform, but much prevarication and manipulation of the reform process, by governments which do not really believe that reform will be effective, which often oppose reforms because they would undercut the patronage and rent-seeking practices which undergird political authority, and which lack the administrative and technical capacity to implement much reform. Over time, state decay has increased.--

Member of

• Political economy of institutions and decisions

Assigning source

Provided by publisher

Cataloging source

UkCbUP

Index

index present

Literary form

non fiction

Nature of contents

dictionaries

Series statement

• Political economy of institutions and decisions
• Cambridge Social Sciences eBooks