Sizing up the African state
In: The journal of modern African studies: a quarterly survey of politics, economics & related topics in contemporary Africa, Band 38, Heft 1, S. 1-20
ISSN: 1469-7777
This paper reviews empirical evidence concerning government errors of
commission and omission in Africa. Seen in the context of international
comparisons, how do African states measure up in the defensive functions of
avoiding government excess? And how do they rate in the constructive functions
of supplying public goods in response to demands from society? Regarding
errors of commission, African states do not stand out as singularly
prone to spend large shares of GNP, to employ high ratios of the population
in bureaucratic jobs, or to own extensive state-owned enterprises. The data
on errors of omission are more equivocal. African states do too little to prevent
corruption, to protect civil and political rights, and to secure the legal
environment for business. Yet, other developing regions display many of the
same deficiencies. Overall, there is little empirical evidence of a sui generis
African state.