Foresight Africa: Top Priorities for the Continent in 2016
This report examines the economic and governance progress in Africa, highlighting the puzzling contrast between the continent's sustained economic turnaround and persistent governance challenges.
(Generated with the help of GPT-4)
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Report location: | source |
| Language: | English |
| Publisher: | richard joseph, steven radelet, mushtaq khan, pierre englebert, gailyn portelance, jerry rawlings, yoweri museveni, joseph stiglitz, akbar noman, justin yifu lin, jeffrey herbst, tim kelsall, goran hyden, nicolas van de walle, Brookings Institution |
| Authors: | English |
| Geographic focus: | Economic Growth, Governance, Industrialization, Democracy, Investment, Private Sector, Political Regimes, Developmental Patrimonialism, Political Settlements, Facilitative State, Industrial Policies, Corruption, Transformative Growth |
| Page count: | 110 pages |
Methods
unknown
(Generated with the help of GPT-4)
Key Insights
Africa's economic growth has been sustained despite governance challenges. However, the quality of growth remains deficient, with large countries like DRC, Nigeria, and Sudan still struggling with governance. Theories like “developmental patrimonialism” and “political settlements” have been debated, but there is no single political regime pathway for growth. Mushtaq Khan suggests that “growth-enhancing governance capacities” are needed, though their nature is unclear. Pierre Englebert and Gailyn Portelance propose that “signaling” between regimes and investors, altering risk perceptions, may account for investment disparities. Theories connecting growth to democracy and good governance set high institutional thresholds. The reality is that private sector growth in post-Cold War Africa required some governance changes but seldom fully open political systems. The facilitative state concept is key for implementing industrial policies. No democratic government in Africa has seen a rupture from corrupt modes of resource distribution, but there are contenders for breakthroughs. Fostering facilitative states should be a development agency priority. Salutary signaling through strategic institutional reforms can attract investors. However, transformative growth requiring robust capital flows, improved infrastructure, diversified exports, and agricultural revolution is more theoretical than reality in much of Africa. In 2016, the debate about the quality of growth must become accessible to more African citizens through informed public debates.
(Generated with the help of GPT-4)
Additional Viewpoints
Categories: Corruption geographic scope | Democracy geographic scope | Developmental Patrimonialism geographic scope | Economic Growth geographic scope | English publication language | Facilitative State geographic scope | Governance geographic scope | Industrial Policies geographic scope | Industrialization geographic scope | Investment geographic scope | Political Regimes geographic scope | Political Settlements geographic scope | Private Sector geographic scope | Transformative Growth geographic scope | african agriculture | african growth | african trade | agriculture | brookings institution | demography | development | economy | education | governance | growth | human development | poverty | resources | urbanization