Short Changing the Value of Democracy for Economic Development in Africa |
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Authors: | Nega Berhanu |
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Institution: | (1) Economics Department, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA 17837, USA |
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Abstract: | Official donor policy towards Africa seems to be informed by the twin requirements of alleviating poverty on the one hand
and ensuring respect for human rights and democratization on the other. In practice, when these interests conflict, as they
usually do in Africa, donors tend to choose to continue supporting dictatorships, arguing that economic development will eventually
lead to democratization. This paper argues that this faulty reasoning is a product of modernization theory that has had undue
influence in western policy circles. Based on a broad survey of the literature, the paper shows that there is no theoretical
or empirical basis for the claim that authoritarian regimes would provide better economic performance than democracies in
general and particularly in Africa. Furthermore, available evidence suggests that the lack of democratization (defined broadly
to include the substance of democracy such as government accountability and basic freedoms in addition to meaningful democratic
elections) is a key constraint on economic and social development in Africa. Finally, the paper argues that even when the
empirical case to establish a definite causal relationship between democratization and development cannot be ascertained,
a very strong case can be made for prioritizing democratization for the long term societal transformation of the continent. |
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