Following independence, most countries in Africa sought to develop, but their governments pursued policies that actually undermined their rural economies. This book provides a preface and chapter that address the seeds of Africa's recovery and discuss the significance of the continent's success for the arguments of this classic work.
The Political Economy of Agrarian Development in Kenya
The book examines Kenya's unique economic trajectory amidst the broader context of capitalism's rise and socialism's fall in Eastern Europe. It critiques the shift in development economics towards neo-classical models, attributing Kenya's initial growth to its economic institutions. However, the author argues that the transition from the Kenyatta to the Moi regime led to a decline, as these institutions were misused to redistribute wealth instead of fostering economic creation. The analysis highlights the critical role of governance in shaping economic outcomes.
Set in late 20th century Africa, the book delves into the intricacies of political order and the essential elements that constitute a stable state. It examines the historical and social contexts that shape governance and authority, providing insights into the continent's unique challenges and developments during this transformative period. Through a detailed analysis, it highlights the interplay between politics, culture, and society in the formation of modern African states.
The 1953 American expedition to the second highest peak in the world.
Prosperity & Violence considers the history of human civilization and explains the origins of the modern state, focusing on the evolution of capitalism as cultures move from dispersed agrarian clans to the dense modern metropolis. Informed by firsthand experience with the political and economic development of many diverse cultures, Bates demonstrates how successful modern states harness ethnic diversity for prosperity rather than for violence and political power. Brief and compelling, Prosperity & Violence is certain to be an excellent supplement in any comparative politics course.
Students of comparative politics have long faced a vexing dilemma: how can social scientists draw broad, applicable principles of political order from specific historical examples? In Analytic Narratives, five senior scholars offer a new and ambitious methodological response to this important question. By employing rational-choice and game theory, the authors propose a way of extracting empirically testable, general hypotheses from particular cases. The result is both a methodological manifesto and an applied handbook that political scientists, economic historians, sociologists, and students of political economy will find essential. In their jointly written introduction, the authors frame their approach to the origins and evolution of political institutions. The individual essays that follow demonstrate the concept of the analytic narrative--a rational-choice approach to explain political outcomes--in case studies. Avner Greif traces the institutional foundations of commercial expansion in twelfth-century Genoa. Jean-Laurent Rosenthal analyzes how divergent fiscal policies affected absolutist European governments, while Margaret Levi examines the transformation of nineteenth-century conscription laws in France, the United States, and Prussia. Robert Bates explores the emergence of a regulatory organization in the international coffee market. Finally, Barry Weingast studies the institutional foundations of democracy in the antebellum United States and its breakdown in the Civil War. In the process, these studies highlight the economic role of political organizations, the rise and deterioration of political communities, and the role of coercion, especially warfare, in political life. The results are both empirically relevant and theoretically sophisticated. Analytic Narratives is an innovative and provocative work that bridges the gap between the game-theoretic and empirically driven approaches in political economy. Political historians will find the use of rational-choice models novel; theorists will discover arguments more robust and nuanced than those derived from abstract models. The book improves on earlier studies by advocating--and applying--a cross-disciplinary approach to explain strategic decision making in history. Inhaltsverzeichnis Acknowledgments Introduction3 1Self-Enforcing Political Systems and Economic Growth: Late Medieval Genoa23 2The Political Economy of Absolutism Reconsidered64 3Conscription: The Price of Citizenship109 4Political Stability and Civil War: Institutions, Commitment, and American Democracy148 5The International Coffee Organization: An International Institution194 Conclusion231 Appendix239 Index243
Focusing on key inquiries within African Studies, this book explores fundamental themes and issues that shape the understanding of the continent. It delves into historical contexts, cultural dynamics, and socio-political developments, offering insights that challenge conventional narratives. By engaging with diverse perspectives, the work aims to deepen readers' comprehension of Africa's complexities and contributions to global discourse.
The book examines the transition from socialism to capitalism in Eastern Europe and its effects on developing nations, specifically focusing on Kenya's unique economic trajectory. Robert Bates critiques neo-classical development economics, attributing Kenya's initial growth to its strong economic institutions. However, he argues that the shift from the Kenyatta to the Moi regime led to a decline, as economic institutions were repurposed for wealth redistribution rather than wealth creation, ultimately impacting the country's economic stability.
The book delves into the establishment and eventual decline of the International Coffee Organization, highlighting its role as a regulatory body in the coffee trade since the 1960s. It examines the interplay between political institutions and market dynamics, using insights from field research in East Africa, Colombia, and Brazil. By integrating game theory with traditional political analysis, the author sheds light on the domestic influences shaping international political economy, offering a unique perspective on the complexities of global trade governance.