Growth and Development Commons^™

On The Market Failure Of “Missing Pioneers”, Shang-Jin Wei, Ziru Wei, Jianhuan Xu

Research Collection School Of Economics

An influential hypothesis states that export pioneers are too few relative to social optimum because the first exporter's action creates an informational public good for all subsequent exporters. The hypothesis has been invoked to justify certain types of government interventions. We note, however, that such market failure requires two inequalities to hold simultaneously: the discovery cost is neither too low nor too high. Neither has to hold in the data. We propose a structural estimation framework to evaluate the hypothesis, and estimate the parameters based on the customs data of Chinese electronics exports. Our key finding is that "missing pioneers" …

Embodied Engineering : Gendered Labor, Food Security, And Taste In Twentieth-Century Mali, Laura Ann Twagira

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

Foregrounding African women’s ingenuity and labor, this pioneering case study shows how women in rural Mali have used technology to ensure food security through the colonial period, environmental crises, and postcolonial rule.

By advocating for an understanding of rural Malian women as engineers, Laura Ann Twagira rejects the persistent image of African women as subjects without technological knowledge or access and instead reveals a hidden history about gender, development, and improvisation. In so doing, she also significantly expands the scope of African science and technology studies.

Using the Office du Niger agricultural project as a case study, Twagira argues that …

Doubling Down On Asia, Olivier Lim, Arif P. Rachmat, David Su

Perspectives@SMU

COVID-19 has inflicted major pain on Asian economies but the effects on countries and sectors are not uniform. The tech sector in China could yet present investment opportunities

Disease, Development, And Disorder: Examining The Effect Of Health On Subnational Development And Conflict In Sub-Saharan Africa, Dlorah C. Jenkins

Doctor of International Conflict Management Dissertations

Progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been uneven across and within countries - particularly in Africa, least developed countries, and low-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened to reverse much of the progress made towards achieving the SDGs, especially SDG 3, which aims to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”.

The tendency for disease, underdevelopment, and conflict to occur concomitantly suggests potential causal mechanisms linking them. This study attempts to address two pieces of the puzzle: the causal effect of disease on underdevelopment and the impact of development on conflict risk. Focusing …

Vision Redux: Power And Policy In Saudi Arabia, Ross Douglas Kimm

Theses and Dissertations

The size and scope of the Vision 2030 modernization plan and the associated Saudi Aramco initial public offering are watershed events in the history of the modern Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. However, they are not outside the history of the country’s development. This thesis, tracing the roots of this latest development plan back to the founding of the current Saudi state, found that Vision 2030 shares many characteristics with previous efforts. Further, it also found precedence for powerful princes rising to power at times of tectonic change. Finally, while historical context is key to understanding this moment in the Kingdom, …

Law, Lawyers And Sustainable Development: Reflections Of A Fellow Traveler, Muna B. Ndulo

Southern African Journal of Policy and Development

At the national level, the rule of law is necessary to create an environment for providing sustainable livelihoods and eradicating poverty. Poverty often stems from disempowerment, exclusion and discrimination. The rule of law fosters development through strengthening the voices of individuals and communities, by providing access to justice, ensuring due process and establishing remedies for the violation of rights. Security of livelihoods, shelter, tenure and contracts can enable and empower the poor to defend themselves against violations of their rights. Legal empowerment goes beyond the provision of legal remedies and supports better economic opportunities. In order for the rule of …

The Logic Of The Land: The Agrarian Roots Of Uneven Development In Brazil, Chris Carlson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation seeks to explain the highly uneven pattern of economic development in Brazil during the 20^th century. Stark development differences between the northern and southern regions of the country have long been a problem of concern to scholars and policymakers and have generated a number of studies over the years. However, none of these have gotten to the root of the problem, and state policy has never adequately addressed the regional disparities. This study puts forth a new theory of uneven development based on the different ways that agricultural production has come to be organized in different parts …

Village Work : Development And Rural Statecraft In Twentieth-Century Ghana, Alice Wiemers

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

A robust historical case study that demonstrates how village development became central to the rhetoric and practice of statecraft in rural Ghana

Combining oral histories with decades of archival material, Village Work formulates a sweeping history of twentieth-century statecraft that centers on the daily work of rural people, local officials, and family networks, rather than on the national governments and large-scale plans that often dominate development stories. Wiemers shows that developmentalism was not simply created by governments and imposed on the governed; instead, it was jointly constructed through interactions between them.

The book contributes to the historiographies of development and …

From Self-Sufficiency To Import Dependence In The Republic Of The Marshall Islands: Data Issues And Challenges, Debra L. Claypool

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Although it appears likely that the profoundly asymmetrical political and economic relationship between the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has contributed to the abandonment of traditional agriculture, import-dependency, and a decrease in quality of life for the citizens of the RMI, limits in existing quantitative data make it impossible to model exactly how this occurred. Therefore, rather than seek to model this causal relationship, the researcher employed three existing ethnographic studies to establish a quantitative measure of the transformation itself. Using additional government documents to supplement the existing data, a measure of relative percentage of …

Two Essays On Innovation And Growth In China, Qiugu He

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation studies China’s economic growth from a perspective of industry dynamics. In chapter 1, I introduce the background and policies relating to China’s economic growth after 1978. In chapter 2, I find that the elasticity of the average R&D expenditure of firms on competition is -0.29 in weak-IPR (intellectual property right) provinces, and -0.06 in strict-IPR provinces. Next, I use the Schumpeterian growth model to explain this finding: When the market becomes more competitive, a firm prefers imitation to innovation to a larger extent, as a means of getting new technology. Due to enforcement of IPR laws, the imitation …

Going Green: A Comparative Analysis Of Green Urbanism In Paris And Shanghai, Jeanne Torp

Honors Theses

As climate change becomes more pressing with each day and as we scramble to slow down the challenges it poses, adapting the means of operation within our cities will become an invaluable tool for reducing humanity’s carbon footprint. This paper seeks to study the ways in which green infrastructure in global cities can be used to do just that—adapting to and mitigating the effects of challenges resulting from climate change. In order to provide a broad overview of the effectiveness of such green infrastructure systems across the globe, this research will focus on two cities that vary greatly in their …

Industrial Policy In Context: Comparative Experiences From Chile And Zambia, Frank Chansa, Ngao Mubanga, Dale Mudenda, Manenga Ndulo

Zambia Social Science Journal

This article tries to draw lessons from Chile for Zambia on innovative industrial policy and strategies that lead to industrial transformation and job creation. The creation of quality jobs for the increasingly skilled youth requires significant efforts. Industrial policy has been argued to have the potential to contribute to the creation of employment through support for new and old initiatives in the economy. In the case of Zambia, the economy has mainly been dominated by the mining sector, where the creation of jobs has been very small, whereas the comparator country Chile developed an institutional framework for industrial policy that …

Does Foreign Direct Investment Matter For Industrialisation In Nigeria?, Obianuju Ogochukwu Nnadozie, Lotanna Ernest Emediegwu, Anthony Monye-Emina

Zambia Social Science Journal

This paper employs cointegration and error correction techniques to provide empirical evidence on the dynamic relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and industrialisation in Nigeria for the period 1981-2015. Our findings show that FDI does not have a significant effect on industrialisation in Nigeria either in the short run or the long run. Also, the empirical results reveal that trade significantly harms industrialisation in Nigeria both in the short run and the long run. Our empirical results are, however, not surprising given that FDI inflows into Nigeria have largely been resource-seeking, that is, mainly targeted at the oil sector with …

The Financial Facet To Sino-African Cooperation: Analyzing Potential Motivations Behind Chinese Investment In African Countries, Jacob T. Carnevale

Political Science Theses and Capstones

China’s reputation transitioned from political isolation throughout the twentieth century to international influence in the twenty-first century. We see this in the continent of Africa, especially, where multiple countries experience political and economic hardships. Today, China invests in African countries to alleviate these hardships and strengthen foreign relations. Some scholars contend that much of China’s approach to foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa stems from China’s domestic interests, while other scholars contend it is more about relationship-building. Taking note that China does both, I ask which aspect to Sino-African relations primarily motivates Chinese lending in Africa. To analyze this question, …

Teaching In The Right Context: Textbook Supply Program, Language, And Vocabulary Ability In Vietnam, Tomoki Fujii, Maki Nakajima, Sijia Xu

Research Collection School Of Economics

While past two decades have witnessed a remarkable educational progress in Vietnam, ethnic minority children consistently lagged behind ethnic majority children in academic performance. The government of Vietnam has stepped up efforts to assist ethnic minority students in their learning by lowering the linguistic and cultural barriers they face. Among such efforts is the textbook supply program, and we examine its impact on the learning of children proxied by vocabulary test. We apply difference-in-differences estimation to four rounds of the Young Lives data between 2006 and 2015 in order to investigate how the textbook supply program narrowed the gap between …

The Migration-Sustainability Paradox: Transformations In Mobile Worlds, Maria Franco Gavonel, William Neil Adger, Ricardo Safra De Campos, Emily Boyd, Edward R. Carr, Anita Fábos, Sonja Fransen, Dominique Jolivet, Caroline Zickgraf, Samuel Na Codjoe, Mumuni Abu, Tasneem Siddiqui

Sustainability and Social Justice

Migration represents a major transformation of the lives of those involved and has been transformative of societies and economies globally. Yet models of sustainability transformations do not effectively incorporate the movement of populations. There is an apparent migration-sustainability paradox: migration plays a role as a driver of unsustainability as part of economic globalisation, yet simultaneously represents a transformative phenomenon and potential force for sustainable development. We propose criteria by which migration represents an opportunity for sustainable development: increasing aggregate well-being; reduced inequality leading to diverse social benefits; and reduced aggregate environmental burden. We detail the dimensions of the transformative potential …

Reimagining China’S Transportation Funding Investments In Africa In The Context Of Covid-1, Clovia Hamilton, Sira Maliphol

Technology & Society Faculty Publications

Africa has not invested enough in its healthcare system, and China has been investing in and financing much of Africa’s transportation system. Many African countries’ fragile health and transportation systems have been further weakened by the COVID-19 pandemic. This literature review confirms the interdependence of the key functional areas of comprehensive development planning and the importance of building and maintaining a sound transportation infrastructure. With respect to partnerships with China, African nations need to strengthen government functional areas more comprehensively, considering all of the areas of development planning including trade as well as transportation and aid issues. It is all …

Financial Institution And The Inclusion Of Youths Through Entrepreneurship In Kenya, Fred Ernest Nasubo

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

Kenya is home to 10.1 million youths, which corresponds to almost 20.3 per cent of the country's population aged 15-24 years. According to the World Bank report released in 2017, Kenya tops in the East Africa region in youth unemployment at 17.3 per cent in comparison to Uganda and Tanzania, at 6 per cent. The majority of youths considered to have attained working age are either unemployed or engaged in low paid employment. Promoting youth entrepreneurship is one way of empowering young people to respond innovatively to the needs of society; this would consequently lead to the generation of more …

Testing The Rambo Effect Theory: A Comparative Analysis Of Economic Integration In Mercosur And Sadc, Sarvesh Lutchmun

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

This paper attempts to conduct a comparative analysis between the integration processes of two regional blocs of the Global South, one in Latin America, namely the 1991-founded Common Market of South America (MERCOSUR) and the other in the southern part of Africa, namely the 1992-founded Southern African Development Community (SADC). In particular, this paper will seek to compare the economic integration process between MERCOSUR and SADC using insights of international political economy and regional cooperation. In doing so, the paper will test the 'Rambo effect' theory which claims that the dominant power of Brazil and South Africa has led to …

Federalism, Federal Powers And The Politics Of Restructuring In Nigeria, Charles Ekpo, Stephen E. Magor University Of Calabar

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

The fact that Nigeria is a very wealthy country both in human and mineral resources could be debatable since wealth is relative. What is, however, incontrovertible is the growing disparity between the wealthy and the wretched, and the general unevenness in the spread of infrastructural and human capacity development across the country. While several reasons have been advanced for this anomaly, this paper toes the path of structural functionalism by ascribing this ill to the faulty nature of Nigeria's federalism which concentrates excessive power and resources in the hands of the federal ruling elite class, with a chronic history of …

Youth React Negatively To Food Insecurity Amid Climate Change In Chipinge District Of Zimbabwe, Sensewell Chingwaramusee

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

This study analyzes the response of youth in Chipinge in face of climate change's effect on food insecurity in the area. The qualitative research informed by desktop analysis provides empirical evidence that youth in Chipinge district have lost hope in their potential and district’s capacity to guarantee food security due to adverse changing weather patterns over the previous two decades namely, cyclone Eline and Idai. Chipinge’s climate is the key at changing the narrative at hand as it has proven to favor cash crop plantation and small grain production for example, tea, coffee macadamia nuts, sorghum and millet. The study …

Technology And Law: The Use Of Artificial Intelligence And 5g To Access The Courts In Africa, Thabo Magubane

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

The application of the latest technological advances has the potential of giving the disadvantaged African persons the ability to have their matters heard and resolved by the courts of law. Access to justice is fundamentally important to the injured party, and it is a vital component of the protection, recognition and enforcement of human rights. Many African persons still lack the ability to afford legal fees due to poverty. This paper is to explore the use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Fifth-Generation Cellular Network (5G) to provide economically disadvantaged African people with the ability to access formal and informal institutions …

Yaljod Full Issue 3.1, Prince Ifoh

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

The Young African Leaders Journal of Development (YALJOD) is a biennial journal and an official publication of the Young African Leaders Forum (YALF). It was established in 2015 to host scholarly analysis and competing viewpoints about the development of Africa; and it’s multidisciplinary approach makes it more formidable. YALJOD accepts papers from varied disciplinary areas — including Social Sciences, Physical Sciences and Humanities — that show direct relevance to the development of Africa. It publishes researches understood as the social, economic, political, cultural and technological processes of change in Africa. The intended audience of the journal remains the entire African …

Education Towards Attaining Sustainable Development In Developing Nations: Nigeria As A Case Study, Ezeifekwuaba Tochukwu Benedict

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

This Research Paper is a contribution towards highlighting the underdevelopment challenges in Nigeria by applying Education as a tool. In the present decades, there has been a Paradigm Shift in emphasizing on Sustainable Development and the way it been practised. All over the country, there is evidence of a failed leadership attributed by a dwindling economic, educational, political and social fortune. All these challenges are due to the incapability of the leadership to effectively plan for development and apply the necessary educational tools that can produce great leaders that can control the helms of Government and the private sectoral industries. …

A Regional Comparative Analysis On The Role Of Electoral Politics In The Decline Of Africa's Public Sector, Mark Opoku Amankwa, Kofi Agyabeng

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

The early post-independence periods saw Africa have efficient Public Sector Institutions. Over a decade, there seems to be a decadent in the public sector. The study examines the regional analysis of government effectiveness in Africa. The study uses data given by the World Bank's Governance Indicator from 55 African countries from 2002 to 2018. The study uses Panel Regression Analysis Model of Random Effects and Pooled Ordinary Least Squares to assess government effectiveness in the five regions of Africa. The findings indicate that Southern African countries performed best as compared to its counterpart regions, followed by North Africa. However, East, …

Power Is Not Served As A La Carte: Rethinking The Social Contract In Nigeria, Chinedu Samuel Ogbuze

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

Social contract is central to the provision of public goods and social welfare. Good governance among other things derives from strong institutions of government and citizen engagement in the political process. This study focuses on reshaping the relationship between the government and the governed in Nigeria. Using functionalism theory, the paper argues that political and economic success is not automatic in a democracy but proportional to the extent that the people can hold their leaders accountable. The study concludes that changing the prolonged ethnoreligious narrative is critical to development and growth in Nigeria as the people are more united by …

Is Donor State 'Securitisation' A Threat Or An Opportunity For Humanitarianism?, Albert Mcbell Ninepence

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

Since the end of the Cold War, a significant number of aid workers have been assaulted and killed, projecting humanitarian assistance as a precarious discourse. Given that humanitarian workers find themselves in dangerous environments and the threats they are exposed to, the need for security has become an exigent concern for most aid agencies and workers (Barnett, 2011 and VanBrabant, 2001). In view of this, security has now been implanted in the conceptualization, planning and delivery of aid. Though the Copenhagen School is associated with the theory of securitization which provides a framework for defining security as securitizingobjectsandreferentobjects(Watson,2011), differentschoolshaveconstruedsecuritizationin different …

Child Labour In Nigeria: Causes And Consequences For National Development, Adebola Tolulope Adeoti

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

Child Labour is a great concern in many Africa countries, Nigeria inclusive in spite of legislative measures. Child labour eradication has also been recognised as a necessity for the achievement of sustainable development. The paper reviews the factors that influence the use of child labour .The paper which argues that, at the heart of the problematic of the Child Labour is Poverty, also explains the health consequences of child labour in Nigerian children. The paper reveals the various types of child labour, which Nigerian children engaged in. The findings also identified; illiteracy, unemployment , polygamy and others as some of …

Public Policy, A Catalyst For Silencing Financial Crime And Corruption: The Case For Deployment Of Digital Ids In The Social Media Platforms, Donald Kbayi

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

The use of social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram for promoting criminal agendas (including global terrorism, transnational organised crime, and cyberattacks) is a rapidly growing phenomenon. Criminals are increasingly using social media as a platform for the recruitment of victims, clients, service providers, and to solicit donations that are normally channelled through the financial system. The National Defense University's Center for Complex Operations lists social media as “enabling a new category of professional “terrorist financiers” within terrorist groups, as they rely more heavily on social media to solicit donations and communicate with both donors and recipient …

The Lion - Bear Allegory: Impact Of Sanctions On Zimbabwe And The Related Neo-Imperial Narratives, Brighton Taruberekera

Young African Leaders Journal of Development

Zimbabwe is a landlocked Southern African country that formerly gained independence and statehood in 1980, ending ninety years of settler colonialism. The country has been under the US - EU sanctions since the turn of the millennium. There are diametrically opposing views with regards to the question of why sanctions were put in place in the first place. This study, however, does not dwell on the circumstances behind the imposition of economic sanctions but explores their impact on the generality of Zimbabweans and why they are categorised as a neo imperial tool. Neo-imperialism, also known as neo-colonialism, is a policy …