Citation:
Bates, Robert H. 2012. “The New Institutionalism and Africa.” The Journal of African Politics. The Journal of African Politics. Copy at http://www.tinyurl.com/y4r3nd2y
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Date Published:
Aug 1, 2012Abstract:
After briefly reviewing the new institutionalism, this article uses the history of political reform in Africa to test its key tenet: that power, if properly organized, is a productive resource. It does so by exploring the relationship between changes in political institutions and changes in economic performance, both at the macro- and the micro-level. The evidence indicates that political reform (Granger) causes increases in GDP per capita in the African subset of global data. And, at the micro-level, it demonstrates that changes in national political institutions in Africa strongly relate to changes in total factor productivity in agriculture.