State Legitimacy and Development in Africa

Bol Partner

The author of this volume argues that differences in economic performance both in Africa and across the developing world can be linked to differences in historical state legitimacy. His analysis questions the relevance of both structural adjustment and public-sector reform programmes.

Bol

It is typically taken for granted that African economies perform poorly, but there are a small but significant number of success stories on the continent. This study explores what accounts for Africa's average stagnation, and for the wide regional variations in developmental fortunes.