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Does Africa Grow Differently?

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  • Block, S.A.
Abstract
This paper argues that understanding the mechanisms of growth requires going beyond the reduced form, and demonstrates important differences in the mechanisms of growth in Africa. Certain policy distortions and exogenous factors are more costly to growth in Africa than elsewhere, while the growth benefits of other reforms and exogenous factors are more limited in Africa than elsewhere. These differences are most apparent in equations which separately explain the explanatory variables common in reduced form growth equations. An expanded growth accounting framework shows that many of the differences in Africa's growth mechanisms are also quantitatively significant in explaining Africa's slow growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Block, S.A., 1999. "Does Africa Grow Differently?," Papers 31, Bell Communications - Economic Research Group.
    • Handle: RePEc:fth:bellco:31
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    Cited by:

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    3. Olivier Parent & Abdallah Zouache, 2012. "Geography versus Institutions: New Perspectives on the Growth of Africa and the Middle East," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 168(3), pages 488-518, September.
    4. Rune Jansen Hagen, 2002. "Marginalisation in the Context of Globalisation: Why Is Africa so Poor?," Nordic Journal of Political Economy, Nordic Journal of Political Economy, vol. 28, pages 147-179.
    5. Chris Papageorgiou & Winford H. Masanjala, 2006. "Initial Conditions, European Colonialism and Africa's Growth," Departmental Working Papers 2006-01, Department of Economics, Louisiana State University.
    6. Roman Arjona & Maxime Ladaique & Mark Pearson, 2001. "Growth, Inequality and Social Protection," OECD Labour Market and Social Policy Occasional Papers 51, OECD Publishing.
    7. Djiofack-Zebaze, Calvin & Keck, Alexander, 2009. "Telecommunications Services in Africa: The Impact of WTO Commitments and Unilateral Reform on Sector Performance and Economic Growth," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(5), pages 919-940, May.
    8. Amélie Charles & Olivier Darne & Jean-François Hoarau, 2012. "Convergence of real per capita GDP within COMESA countries: A panel unit root evidence," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 49(1), pages 53-71, August.
    9. Carl-Johan, Dalgaard & Henrik, Hansen, 2009. "Evaluating Aid Effectiveness in the Aggregate: Methodological Issues," MPRA Paper 23025, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Winford H. Masanjala & Chris Papageorgiou, 2008. "Rough and lonely road to prosperity: a reexamination of the sources of growth in Africa using Bayesian model averaging," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 23(5), pages 671-682.
    11. Roman Arjona & Maxime Ladaique & Mark Pearson, 2003. "Social Protection and Growth," OECD Economic Studies, OECD Publishing, vol. 2002(2), pages 7-45.
    12. Dae Hyung Woo & Jin Seo Cho, 2023. "An Empirical Analysis of Current Economic Growth in Relation to Precolonial and Colonial Legacies," Working papers 2023rwp-218, Yonsei University, Yonsei Economics Research Institute.
    13. Olivier Parent & Abdallah Zouache, 2009. "Geographical Features vs. Institutional Factors: New Perspectives on The Growth of Africa and Middle-East," Working Papers 490, Economic Research Forum, revised Jun 2009.
    14. Author-Name: Jeffrey D. Sachs & John W. McArthur & Guido Schmidt-Traub & Margaret Kruk & Chandrika Bahadur & Michael Faye & Gordon McCord, 2004. "Ending Africa's Poverty Trap," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 35(1), pages 117-240.
    15. Moller, Lars Christian & Wacker, Konstantin M., 2017. "Explaining Ethiopia’s Growth Acceleration—The Role of Infrastructure and Macroeconomic Policy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 198-215.
    16. Cunado, J. & Perez de Gracia, F., 2006. "Real convergence in Africa in the second-half of the 20th century," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 153-167.
    17. Mary Oluwatoyin AGBOOLA & Mehmet BALCILAR, 2014. "Can food availability influence economic growth - the case of African countries," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 60(5), pages 232-245.
    18. Robert H. Bates, 2005. "Political Reform," CID Working Papers 114, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    19. Mvogo, Jean-Paul, 2012. "Les politiques de développement financier en Afrique subsaharienne : définition - enjeux - réalités et propositions," Economics Thesis from University Paris Dauphine, Paris Dauphine University, number 123456789/9120 edited by Métais, Joël.
    20. W.A. NaudÈ & W.F. Krugell, 2003. "An Inquiry into Cities and their Role in Subnational Economic Growth in South Africa," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 12(4), pages 476-499, December.
    21. Brantley Liddle, 2003. "Developing country growth collapse revisited: demographic influences and regional differences," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2003-007, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    22. Serge Rey & Florent Deisting, 2012. "GDP per Capita among African Countries over the Period 1950-2008: Highlights of Convergence Clubs," Post-Print hal-01885301, HAL.
    23. Paap, Richard & Franses, Philip Hans & van Dijk, Dick, 2005. "Does Africa grow slower than Asia, Latin America and the Middle East? Evidence from a new data-based classification method," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(2), pages 553-570, August.
    24. W. A. Naudé, 2004. "The effects of policy, institutions and geography on economic growth in Africa: an econometric study based on cross-section and panel data," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 16(6), pages 821-849.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ECONOMIC GROWTH ; DEVELOPING COUNTRIES;

    JEL classification:

    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa
    • O40 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - General

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