Corruption and Development in Africa


Book Description

Bringing together a distinguished cast of contributors, the book provides an authoritative and definitive analysis of the theory, practice and development impact of corruption in Africa. Combating corruption is demonstrated to require greater priority in the quest for African development.




Corruption and Economic Growth in Africa


Book Description

Corruption is one of the major challenges impeding Africa’s growth and development efforts and its impact is much more pronounced at this point of the continent’s development trajectory. Corruption has political, economic, and social consequences and this book argues that any efforts to help Africa grow and develop must prioritise the fight against it, so that the aid and funding given for projects in the region can continue to be sustained. The book also tackles the issue of national security and instability caused by corruption. The author argues that progress cannot happen in countries and environments where instability exists and persists. Corruption in Africa has contributed to instability and other national security challenges, especially in fragile states on the continent. The book starts by looking at the three major types of corruption: petty, grand, and systemic and then goes on to address the different categories of corruption such as bureaucratic, legislative, political, as well as public and private sector aspects. It also deals with common forms of corruption as well as some of the causes, such as bad governance and excessive greed, to mention a few. Further, it critically examines how current political systems on the continent contribute to this condition. The book argues that some of the solutions that have been proposed to date are not viable or have not worked in practice, and through applied research, offers workable solutions that policy makers, African politicians, academics, and students of economics and development can use as a reference guide in the fight against corruption.




African Economic Development


Book Description

In a sweeping survey of African economies, leading scholars offer the latest research into the biggest current influences on African growth and development, taking account of relevant institutional contexts as well as significant or unique problems that have slowed Africa’s progress.




Are External Shocks Responsible for the Instability of Output in Low Income Countries?


Book Description

External shocks, such as commodity price fluctuations, natural disasters, and the role of the international economy, are often blamed for the poor economic performance of low-income countries. The author quantifies the impact of these different external shocks using a panel vector autoregression (VAR) approach and compares their relative contributions to output volatility in low-income countries vis-à-vis internal factors. He finds that external shocks can only explain a small fraction of the output variance of a typical low-income country. Internal factors are the main source of fluctuations. From a quantitative perspective, the output effect of external shocks is typically small in absolute terms, but significant relative to the historic performance of these countries.




Corruption in Africa


Book Description

Corruption in Africa makes a significant contribution to the study of the impacts and eradication of corruption in African societies. John Mukum Mbaku offers a comprehensive analysis of the causes of public malfeasance in African countries and provides a number of practical and effective policy options for change. This book demonstrates the destructive relationship between corruption and the abrogation of economic freedoms and entrepreneurship, a system that has clearly left Africa as one of the most deprived regions in the world. Utilizing the tools of public choice theory, Mbaku emphasizes the important role that institutions have in corruption control and he recommends reconstructive democratic constitutions as the most effective means of development. Until African states provide their people with institutional arrangements that adequately constrain the state and enhance wealth production, the living standards in the continent will continue to deteriorate. Corruption in Africa is a fascinating and informative text that will appeal to those interested in African studies and developmental policies.




Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa


Book Description

The paper investigates empirically the determinants of economic growth for a large sample of sub-Saharan African countries during 1981-92. The results indicate that (i) an increase in private investment has a relatively large positive impact on per capita growth; (ii) growth is stimulated by public policies that lower the budget deficit in relation to GDP (without reducing government investment), reduce the rate of inflation, maintain external competitiveness, promote structural reforms, encourage human capital development, and slow population growth; and (iii) convergence of per capita income occurs after controlling for human capital development and public policies.




Capital Flight from Africa


Book Description

A comprehensive thematic analysis of capital flight from Africa, it covers the role of safe havens, offshore financial centres, and banking secrecy in facilitating illicit financial flows and provides rich insights to policy makers interested in designing strategies to address the problems of capital flight and illicit financial flows.




The Quality of Growth in Africa


Book Description

In recent years, concerns about the outcomes and nature of economic growth have given way to a new emphasis on its quality. This volume brings together prominent international contributors to consider a range of interrelated questions concerning the quality of growth in Africa, with a primary focus on sub-Saharan countries. Contributors discuss the measurement of growth, the transformations necessary to sustain it, and issues around equity and well-being. They consider topics such as the distribution of income gains from growth; the extent to which economic growth has resulted in improvements in employment, poverty, and security; structural transformations of the economy and diversification of the sources of growth; environmental sustainability; and management of urbanization. Offering both diagnoses and prescriptions, The Quality of Growth in Africa helps envision a future that goes beyond increasing GDP to ensuring that growth translates into advancements in well-being. Although the book focuses on sub-Saharan Africa, much of the contributors’ incisive analysis has implications for countries outside the region.




Economic Development in the Middle East and North Africa


Book Description

Using cases on individual countries, Economic Development in the Middle East and North Africa offers diverse theoretical and empirical evidence on a variety of issues facing policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders in the region.




Corruption


Book Description

" From ancient times to modern, corruption has been ingrained in human society and is still a powerful issue in the contemporary world. In Corruption: A Short History, Carlo Brioschi provides a thorough and entertaining look at how corruption was born and has evolved over time, without ever being stamped out. He examines corruption through politics and history—from Babylon to modern-day U.S. organized crime and the great market collapses—and concludes with reflections on the moral perception of corruption and its dangers for democracy. "