Suchergebnisse

General introduction -- Bureaucratic and political corruption : definitions and measurement -- Corruption in Africa: an overview of causes and country experiences -- The impact of corruption on the African economies -- The international dimension of corruption -- Corruption cleanups in Africa : traditional approaches -- Corruption cleanups in Africa : lessons from public choice theory -- Corruption cleanups in Africa : the role of institutions -- Corruption cleanups in Africa : public financial management -- Corporate governance and corruption -- Corruption cleanups in Africa : a critique of advice from institutional experts -- Democratic constitution making and state reconstruction in Africa : challenges and prospects

Africa's struggle against mass poverty and deprivation is examined using a constitutional political economy approach. It is argued that the failure of many African countries to deal effectively with poverty is due to the fact that since independence, these countries have not been able to engage in democratic constitution making to provide themselves with institutional arrangements that guarantee the rule of law. Such institutions must adequately constrain civil servants and political elites, enhance peaceful coexistence, and provide an enabling environment for the creation of wealth. The process to reconstruct and reconstitute African states has been on going since decolonization. The Arab awakening, which began in North Africa, and the pro-democracy demonstrations of the mid-1980s and early-1990s, are a continuation of this effort to secure the laws and institutions that enhance the creation of wealth and provide an enabling environment for the eventual eradication of poverty. Unless the African countries provide themselves with institutional arrangements that guarantee the rule of law, poverty will remain pervasive.

The study critiques the development literature's neglect of the role played by institutions in development, with special emphasis on corruption cleanups. Such neglect is especially problematic in view of the fact that corruption is a major constraint to wealth creation and economic growth in Africa. The policy limitations of traditional development models with respect to corruption can be remedied by incorporating insights from the theory of public choice into the design and execution of new anti-corruption programs. Such insights include the introduction of new and more relevant rules, reform of existing laws and institutions, provision of more effective and relevant incentive structures, and enforcement mechanisms to reduce the profitability of opportunism.

In the late 1970s, Chinese leaders made a concerted effort to end their closed-door policies and integrate the country's economy into the global system. Today, China is the second largest economy in the world. However, similar improvements have not been seen in political governance. Governance remains opaque and oppressive, the regulatory system is pervaded by venality, and human rights violations are widespread. China is gradually emerging as a leader in the global system, however, China cannot take effectively exert a leadership role without significantly improving its domestic political system. New information communication technologies can be used to enhance openness and transparency in government and pave the way for more legitimate governance. Adapted from the source document.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Tables -- List of contributors -- About the African Studies and Research Forum -- Acknowledgments -- 1 General introduction -- 2 Where is the third wave? A critical evaluation of Africa's non-transition to democracy -- 3 Structural adjustment programs and democratization in Africa: the case of Mauritania -- 4 Bureaucratic corruption and the crisis of political reforms in Africa -- 5 National conferences and democratization in Francophone Africa -- 6 Nigeria: how to derail a transition program -- 7 State collapse and democratic construction: prospects for Liberia -- 8 Women and political participation in Kenya: evaluating the interplay of gender, ethnicity, class and state -- 9 Democracy and democratization in Cameroon: living with the dual heritage -- 10 How not to consolidate a democracy: the experience of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) in Zambia -- 11 South Africa's first democratic elections and their political context -- 12 Beyond Mobutu: the opposition and the struggle for democracy in Zaire -- 13 Assessing the future of democracy in Africa: internal and external challenges

The effective and efficient management of water is a major problem, not just for economic growth and development in the Nile River basin, but also for the peaceful coexistence of the millions of people who live in the region. Of critical importance to the people of this part of Africa is the reasonable, equitable and sustainable management of the waters of the Nile River and its tributaries. Written by scholars trained in economics and law, and with significant experience in African political economy, this book explores new ways to deal with conflict over the allocation of the waters of the Nile River and its tributaries. The monograph provides policymakers in the Nile River riparian states and other stakeholders with practical and effective policy options for dealing with what has become a very contentious problem the effective management of the waters of the Nile River. The analysis is quite rigorous but also extremely accessible