Growth, Colonization, and Institutional Development: In and Out of Africa

Graziella Bertocchi ()

No 5856, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This essay investigates the determinants of the growth performance of Africa. I start by illustrating a broader research agenda which accounts not only for basic economic and demographic factors, but also for the role of history and institutional development. After reporting results from standard growth regressions, I analyze the role of Africa’s peculiar history, which has been marked by its colonization experience. Next I discuss the potential growth impact of state fragility, a concept which reflects multiple facets of the dysfunctions that plague the continent. The last topic I address is the influence, in and out of Africa, of the slave trades. The essay ends with critical conclusions and suggestions for further research.

Keywords: state fragility; institutions; colonization; history; Africa; growth; slavery (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: H11 N17 O43 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 30 pages
Date: 2011-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-afr, nep-dev and nep-pke
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Published - revised version published in: Olivier de la Grandville (ed.), Economic Growth and Development, Frontiers of Economics and Globalization, Vol. 11, Bingley, 2011, 25 - 41

Downloads: (external link)
https://docs.iza.org/dp5856.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
Working Paper: Growth, Colonization, and Institutional Development: In and Out of Africa (2011)
Working Paper: Growth, Colonization, and Institutional Development. In and Out of Africa (2011)
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:iza:izadps:dp5856

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
IZA, Margard Ody, P.O. Box 7240, D-53072 Bonn, Germany

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) IZA, P.O. Box 7240, D-53072 Bonn, Germany. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Holger Hinte ().