The debate on the decisive constraints on state intervention which might have impeded a developmental progress in Sub-Saharan African since the era of independence in the 1950s and 1960s is manifold. Whereas conventional analyses have been regarding inadequate policy choices and excessive pursuit of self-interests by developing country governments as the core reasons for unsatisfactory developmental outcomes, others criticise the voicing of such general inferences and, instead, emphasise historical and structural circumstances as the underlying causes that can explain the ‘African tragedy’. Hence, the role of the state in enabling development has continuously been subject to a shift of theoretical paradigms. The economical uprising of the ‘East Asian ‘developmental states’ during the second half of the 20th century contributed to this dispute as a functional relationship between the decisive impact of market- or state-driven approaches could not be established.
By differentiating between constraints and by focussing the analysis on the most relevant ones, it is possible to provide an analytical framework that allows for a critical review of the evolution of the restraints on state intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa in light of the policy experiences provided by the ‘success story’ of East Asia.
Henceforth, this essay will demonstrate that the central pillars restricting state intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa have been political instability coupled with an overly dependence on commodities as primary export goods. Due to these aspects, a structural inability to generate sufficient and diverse forms of public revenues prevailed which, in turn, impeded the implementation of development-enhancing public policies. The essay is organised as follows: Section 2 discusses the most central constraints on state intervention. In section 3, the conceptual framework of the East Asian developmental state is presented before section 4 analyses its relevance for Sub-Saharan Africa. Section 5 provides a country case study. Section 6 concludes.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Central Constraints for State Intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Endogeneity and Time Dependence of Constraints
- The Persistence of Fragile Political Landscapes
- The Dependence on Commodity Exports and the Inability to Generate Sustainable Public Revenues
- The East Asian Developmental State
- The Question of Transferability - To What Extent Can the East Asian 'Miracle' Resolve the African 'Tragedy'?
- Case Study: Constraints on State Intervention in Kenya Since Independence
- Overview
- History of the Political Landscape
- Development of Public Revenues
- Findings: Limited Transferability of the Developmental State
- Conclusions
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay explores the constraints on state intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa, analyzing why such interventions have been limited in achieving development goals since independence. It examines the interplay of historical, structural, and political factors that have hindered the effectiveness of state intervention, particularly in comparison to the "East Asian Miracle."
- The role of state intervention in development
- The impact of political instability and fragile political landscapes
- The challenges of commodity dependence and revenue generation
- The transferability of the East Asian developmental state model to Sub-Saharan Africa
- Case study of constraints on state intervention in Kenya
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction provides an overview of the debate surrounding state intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa and the challenges faced by these economies. It outlines the main factors that have hindered developmental progress, including political instability, commodity dependence, and inadequate revenue generation. The essay aims to critically analyze these constraints within the context of the East Asian developmental state model, assessing its transferability to Sub-Saharan Africa.
Chapter 2 delves into the most significant constraints on state intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa. It discusses the endogeneity and time dependence of these constraints, arguing that they cannot be isolated from the broader historical and structural context. This chapter examines the persistent fragility of political landscapes, highlighting the prevalence of regime changes, "Big Men" politics, and the challenges of political decentralization. It also explores the reliance on commodity exports and its impact on public revenue generation.
Chapter 3 presents the conceptual framework of the East Asian developmental state, analyzing its key characteristics and strategies for promoting development. It explores the successes of these models and examines the factors that contributed to their effectiveness.
Chapter 4 addresses the question of transferability, considering the extent to which the East Asian developmental state model can be applied to resolve the developmental challenges faced by Sub-Saharan African nations. It assesses the potential benefits and limitations of this approach, taking into account the specific context of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Chapter 5 provides a case study of Kenya, focusing on the constraints on state intervention since independence. It examines the historical development of the political landscape, the evolution of public revenue generation, and the findings regarding the limited transferability of the developmental state model.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key terms and concepts explored in this essay include state intervention, development constraints, Sub-Saharan Africa, political instability, commodity dependence, public revenue generation, East Asian developmental state, transferability, case study, Kenya.
- Quote paper
- Kareem Bayo (Author), 2016, The Constraints on State Intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa since Independence. A comparison of public policies in Sub-Saharan African Economies with the high-growth Developmental States in East Asia, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/419465
