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The Political Economy of China—US Relations: Digital Futures and African Agency (International Political Economy Series)
by Mzukisi QoboThis book offers a rich perspective on Africa’s agency in the changing global order marked by intense geopolitical contestations. It discusses ways in which the African continent has been on the margins of the global economic system because of the actions of major powers and Africa’s own leaders, and how this legacy can be overcome. The book covers an uncharted ground in analyzing the intersection between geopolitical rivalry, digital futures, and Africa’s place in the world. This text makes a clarion call for African leaders and citizens to define better development pathways for the continent through insisting on ethical and transformation leadership as well as building credible institutions that are inclusive. This, according to the author, will ensure a sounder basis for Africa’s positive agency. Further, the book makes a strong case for structural transformation that is innovation-led, and that African decision-makers should leverage US-China rivalries to achieve Africa’s own development interests.
The Political Economy of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in East Africa
by Simon ZüfleThis book examines the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in East Africa. The BRI is considered China's central geopolitical and geo-economic project in the era of President Xi Jinping. Through this work, the author aims to contribute to filling some research gaps, such as the lack of depth in studies of individual BRI projects and the underconsideration of processing narratives in participating countries. The guiding question is the extent to which the BRI is a political or hegemonic project of the CCP-directed state-civil society complex in East Africa. To answer these questions, databases of international organizations and policy documents are analyzed. In addition, the author conducts a qualitative content analysis of newspaper articles from local media houses in the countries of Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania to examine three infrastructure projects. The work illustrates that the BRI contributes to increasing connectivity in East Africa. At the same time, the compression of economic relations and the implementation of infrastructure projects in East Africa lead to numerous consequences and contour a hegemonic project.
The Political Economy of China’s Infrastructure Development in Africa: Capital, State Agency, Debt (International Political Economy Series)
by Tim ZajontzThis book sheds light on structural drivers that led to the Chinese omnipresence in African infrastructure markets and offers a strategic-relational approach to the study of African agency in Sino-African infrastructure encounters. Case studies cover the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA), Zambia’s road sector as well as Tanzania’s Bagamoyo port and Standard Gauge Railway. It is shown that African (state) agency in the infrastructure sector is contingent upon dynamic state-society relations and distinct political-economic contexts and constraints. The book problematises contradictions related to infrastructure debt, the emergence of Sino-African public-private partnerships and the intensifying geopolitics-cum-geoeconomics of infrastructure across Africa.
The Political Economy of China’s Systemic Transformation
by Victoria Mantzopoulos Raphael ShenAfter three decades of reign, Mao left China a structurally rigid and functionally inefficient economy. The imperative for systemic transformation was self-evident. China has surpassed Japan as the second largest economy in the world. A statistical analysis of four countries indicates political stability and social calm helped gain the confidence of needed foreign investments. For China, it is foreign investment that has been fuelingits export growth which in turnis most instrumental in its development path. "
The Political Economy of Chinese FDI in Africa: Productive FDI and Industrialisation (Palgrave Studies in African and Development Economics)
by Ayalew MamoThis book provides unique insight into Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa. With a particular focus on Ethiopia, it examines the impact of FDI on Africa’s industrial and manufacturing sector and the potential for productive FDI to advance industrialisation and create jobs for a large and young labour market. The creation of government policies and an institutional framework for the management of FDI is also examined, alongside lessons that can be learnt from policies that were less successful.This book offers a comparative perspective on FDI to highlight the forms of government intervention that maximise the economic benefits of FDI. It will be relevant to students, researchers, and policymakers interested in development economics and the political economy.
The Political Economy of Civil Society and Human Rights (Routledge Studies in Social and Political Thought)
by Gary B. MadisonMadison uses the concept of civil society and his distinctive version of 'communicative rationality' to provide a closely-argued and robust defence of the neo-liberal political and economic tradition. Writing with considerable elegance and humour, the author draws on the hermeneutical and neo-pragmatist traditions, and on a diverse range of evidence and discussion, mainly concerning transitional economies and societies in Eastern Europe and around the world. Providing a systematic analysis of the multi-faceted notion of civil society, this book shows in detail how the three main orders of civil society - the moral-cultural, the political, and the economic - constitute 'spheres of autonomy'. At the same time, it illustrates how these different orders are closely interrelated and interact in a synergetic manner. A unique feature of this study is the way in which the author demonstrates how the logic of the various orders of civil society is, in a way appropriate to the distinct nature of each order, a logic of communicative rationality. The work concludes by arguing that the only sure way of achieving international justice is by the construction of civil society world-wide.
The Political Economy of Civil War and UN Peace Operations (Studies in Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding)
by Mats Berdal Jake ShermanThis book examines the operational and political challenges facing UN peace operations deployed in countries where civil war and protracted violence have given rise to the complex and distinctive political economies of conflict. The volume explores the nature and impact of such political economies – informal systems of power and influence formed by the interaction of local, national, and region-wide war economies with the political agendas of conflict actors – on the course of UN peace operations. It focuses in detail on the UN’s long-running peace operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Somalia. The book is centrally concerned with the interaction of UN missions with the power structures and local conflict dynamics that shape individual mission settings, and the challenges these pose for mediation, protection of civilians, and other tasks. It also offers a critical assessment of the various ways in which the UN ‘system’, from its headquarters in New York to the field, has confronted the policy challenges posed by political economies of conflict-affected states, societies, and regions. It advances a pragmatic set of policy recommendations aimed at improving the UN’s ability to confront predatory and exploitative war economies. At the same time, the volume makes it clear that political and institutional obstacles to more effective UN action are certain to remain profound and are unlikely ever to be fully overcome let alone eradicated. Despite making some progress since the 1990s to better understand the political economy of civil wars, the UN has struggled with how to tackle informal networks of power and their consequences for efforts to end wars. The book will be of special interest to students of war and conflict studies, statebuilding, political economy of conflict, UN interventionism and peacebuilding, and IR/Security in general.
The Political Economy of Climate Change Adaptation
by Benjamin K. Sovacool Björn-Ola LinnérThe Political Economy of Climate Change Adaptation.
The Political Economy of Climate Change Adaptation
by Benjamin K. Sovacool Björn-Ola LinnérDrawing on concepts in political economy, political ecology, justice theory, and critical development studies, the authors offer the first comprehensive, systematic exploration of the ways in which adaptation projects can produce unintended, undesirable results.This work is on the Global Policy: Next Generation list of six key books for understanding the politics of global climate change.
The Political Economy of Climate Finance: Lessons from International Development (International Political Economy Series)
by Larry A. Swatuk Corrine CashThis project breaks disciplinary silos by bringing those who work in climate finance and policy together with development scholars and practitioners to share lessons, understanding, and research with an overall goal of making a contribution to the climate change field so that those at the community level benefit from the multitude of programmes designed for climate impacts. For some 70 years, International Development specialists have been developing programs and delivering funds to those who most need assistance. There is a wealth of knowledge to be uncovered by examining the international development industry for those who are now tasked with delivering climate finance. The academic, policy, and practitioner communities have spent decades researching, examining, and analyzing both development policies and finance independent of each. This volume will seek to bring that research together.
The Political Economy of Coal: Obstacles to Clean Energy Transitions (Environment for Development)
by Michael JakobThis volume provides an overview of the political economy of coal in diverse country contexts. Coal is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions globally, accounting for about 40 percent of energy-related CO2 emissions. Continued construction of coal-fired power plants could make the climate targets of the Paris Agreement infeasible to achieve. In spite of sharply declining costs for renewable energy sources, many countries still heavily rely on coal to meet their energy demand. The predominance of coal can only be adequately understood in light of the political factors that determine energy policy formulation. To this end, this edited volume assembles a wide variety of case studies exploring the political economy of coal for across the globe. These includes industrial and developing nations, coal importers and exporters as well as countries that are either substantial coal users, are just beginning to ramp up their capacities, or have already initiated a coal phase-out. Importantly, all case studies are structured along a unifying framework that focuses on the central actors driving energy policy formulation, their main objectives as well as the context that determines to what extent they can influence policy making. This large set of comparable studies will permit drawing conclusions regarding key similarities as well as differences driving coal use in different countries. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of energy, climate change, resource management, and sustainable development. It will also appeal to practitioners and policymakers involved in sustainable development.
The Political Economy of Colonialism and Nation-Building in Nigeria
by Samuel Ojo OloruntobaThis book examines the ways in which colonialism continues to define the political economy of Nigeria sixty years after gaining political independence from the British. It also establishes a link between colonialism and the continued agitation for restructuring the political arrangement of the country. The contributions offer various perspectives on how the forceful amalgamation of disparate units and diverse nationalities have undermined the realization of the development potential of Nigeria.The book is divided into two parts. The first part interrogates the political economy of colonialism and the implications of this on economic development in contemporary Nigeria. The second part examines nation-building, governance, and development in a postcolonial state. The failure of the postcolonial political elites to ensure inclusive governance has continued to foster centrifugal and centripetal forces that question the legitimacy of the state. The forces have deepened calls for secession, accentuated conflicts and predispose the country to possible disintegration. A new government approach is required that would ensure equal representation, access to power and equitable distribution of resources.
The Political Economy of Communications: International and European Dimensions (Routledge Revivals)
by Kenneth Dyson Peter HumphreysFirst published in 1990, The Political Economy of Communications explores the central theme of the relationship between politics and markets in policy development. The contributors show how governments have been drawn into increasing interdependency by technological and market developments, with international institutions like the European Community becoming more important in these policy areas. They argue that neither government ideologies nor market and technological forces offer an adequate account of the processes of change in communications policy. These conclusions lead to a critique of central theories of international political economy, notably neo-liberalism, and the authors advocate instead a neo-pluralist perspective for the study of political economy of communications – an approach that takes institutions much more seriously as a central unit of analysis. The book will be of interest to students of international relations, European studies, and media and telecommunication studies, as well as to political scientists and economists concerned with public policy.
The Political Economy of Conflict in South Asia
by Matthew J. Webb Albert WijeweeraDestructive conflicts have thwarted growth and development in South Asia for more than half a century. This collection of multi-disciplinary essays examines the economic causes and consequences of military conflict in South Asia from a variety of perspectives embracing fiscal, social, strategic, environmental and several other dimensions.
The Political Economy of Consumer Behavior: Contesting Consumption (Routledge Advances in Social Economics)
by Bruce PietrykowskiConsumption forms a major part of people’s lives. As such, geographers, historians of technology and sociologists have devoted much attention to trying to figure out what makes consumption meaningful. By contrast, economists have been content to hold onto theories of consumption that depend on a self-interested representative agent making utility maximizing decisions. Pietrykowski develops this alternative account through the recovery of past attempts to forge a different analytical approach to the study of consumption. In particular, theories of consumption espoused by home economists, psychological economists and Regulation school theorists are critically reviewed. These research projects, marginalized by the mainstream, are the precursors of contemporary scholarship in feminist, behavioural and radical political economics. Reclaiming this work greatly enlarges the scope for contemporary research in consumer behavior. Pietrykowski then provides a richly textured set of case studies of green automobility, slow food and alternative/local currency in order to explore the diversity of user cultures and to highlight resistant forms of consumer practice. By carefully interweaving historical and interdisciplinary research Pietrykowski creates a lively and incisive critique of mainstream economics This monograph will be of interest to academic economists, sociologists, historians and graduate students. In addition, the economics of consumption would also be of interest to readers in management, marketing and schools of business administration.
The Political Economy of Contemporary Human Civilisation, Volume I: From the Rise of Homo Sapiens to AI and Robotics
by Sangaralingam RameshThis book, the first of two volumes, examines the evolution of humanity and development global economic systems to provide insight into the advances and challenges they have created. By placing modern technology and global crises within the context of long-term human development, it evaluates the threat of climate change on future generations by showing how past civilizations have survived and succumbed to climate events. A similar approach is taken with migration, where the current migration crisis is contrasted against historic migration patterns. The potential for artificial intelligence, quantum computing, nuclear fusion, and biotechnology to combat these challenges, as well as tackle poverty and inequality, are also discussed. This book highlights the consequences of human cognition and the constant desire for economic growth and evaluates whether they have been a net positive for human society. It will be of interest to students and researchers working on political economy and global challenges.
The Political Economy of Contemporary Human Civilisation, Volume II: From Quantum Computing and Nuclear Fusion to War and Conflict
by Sangaralingam RameshThis book, the second of two volumes, examines the evolution of humanity and development global economic systems to provide insight into the advances and challenges they have created. By placing modern technology and global crises within the context of long-term human development, it evaluates the threat of climate change on future generations by showing how past civilizations have survived and succumbed to climate events. The potential for artificial intelligence, quantum computing, nuclear fusion, and biotechnology to combat the current global challenges is explored, alongside possibilities of new technologies exacerbating poverty, inequality, and social division. This book highlights the consequences of human cognition and the constant desire for economic growth and evaluates whether they have been a net positive for human society. It will be of interest to students and researchers working on political economy and global challenges.
The Political Economy of Corruption (Routledge Frontiers of Political Economy)
by Sudipta Sarangi Ajit Mishra Chandan Kumar JhaCorruption, commonly defined as the misuse of public office for private gains, is multifaceted, multidimensional and ubiquitous. This edited collection, featuring contributions from leading scholars in the field of corruption, goes beyond the standard enforcement framework wherein individuals only compare the expected costs and benefits of a corrupt act. These chapters explore the political-cultural contexts, legal and regulatory process and, above all, moral and psychological factors in attempts to understand and explain corruption. The book explores a broad canvas where gender, technology, culture and institutional structures influence attitudes towards corruption. Design and implementation of anti-corruption strategies benefit from suitable identification of these factors contributing to the prevalence and persistence of corruption. Combining theoretical and empirical studies with evidence from experiments as well as case studies, the book provides crucial state of the art in corruption research in a highly accessible manner. This book serves as a vital reference to students and scholars in economics, politics and development studies. Additionally, policymakers and development practitioners can use the insights from this book in successful design and implementation of anti-corruption policies.
The Political Economy of Corruption in China (Studies On Contemporary China)
by Julia KwongThis text examines all facets of corruption: meaning, incidence, monetary value, the kinds of goods exchanged, the perpetrators and their strategies, in China since 1949. It explores the irony of how ideology and organizational structures under socialism can both restrain and encourage corruption.
The Political Economy of Crisis Management and Reform in Egypt
by Mahmoud Mohieldin Hanan Amin-Salem Amira El-Shal Eman MoustafaThere is a significant discrepancy between the population of Egypt and the GDP of this country. This book offers pragmatic policy prescriptions for Egyptian decision-makers. It provides a path forward and toward a better future for the Egyptian people. The country faces challenges with household income, social welfare, productivity, and many other markers of twenty-first century economic success even vis-à-vis other developing country peers.This book focuses on framing the optimal macroeconomic policy agenda for Egypt in the face of the big global, regional and national forces that are being accelerated, intensified or changed by the COVID-19 crisis rather than on specific sectoral policy formulations. The authors present these big questions in the context of showing how Egypt can best navigate the risks and seize the opportunities of the current period of intense flux and transition, to put itself in the best possible position to create prosperity, stability, and hope for its citizens. The authors examine to what extent the Egyptian authorities can fulfill their ambitious development plans and in producing this work, to provide useful lessons that can be applied to other governments struggling to respond to the challenges of the age.
The Political Economy of De-liberalization: A Comparative Study On Austria, Germany And Switzerland (Contributions To Political Science Ser.)
by Anna FillThis book explores the politics behind “de-liberalization”, defined as policy reforms that constrain markets and their underlying mechanisms. By offering a comparative study on the governmental reform strategies and policy choices of Austria, Germany and Switzerland, it demonstrates that de-liberalization processes are a common reform option for governments. Utilizing a novel dataset on liberalization covering policy reform trajectories in 38 industrialized countries between 1973 and 2013, it shows that governments often draw on strategies of de-liberalization in the fields of social, welfare and labor market policy, where they can be used as compensation for the electorate in the context of liberalizing reforms. As such, the book makes an important contribution to the field of political economy by capturing the turning of the tide in scholarly and policy attention, away from liberalization and towards a re-embedding and re-regulation of economic activity.
The Political Economy of Decentralization in Sub-Saharan Africa: A New Implementation Model in Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal
by Bernard Dafflon Thierry MadièsFor the past two decades, experiments in decentralization and federalization havebeen developing in Africa, Asia, and the formerly communist states of EasternEurope. Many of the powers previously in the hands of the central governmentor its deconcentrated structures have been transferred to lower government layers. Additionally, local governments are gradually emerging as development actors. Whatever the reasons for decentralization, the transfer of new functions to localgovernments can be substantive, at least in intent. The Political Economy of Decentralization in Sub-Saharan Africa offers a newpolicy-oriented implementation model, applied systematically in parallel in BurkinaFaso, Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal. The book studies the individual countries andcompares similar issues based on the same blueprint. The analysis is not intendedto assess whether the chosen decentralization model is the right one, which doesnot exist. Rather, it examines decentralization achievements in specific nationalsettings and compares those achievements with the announced objectives. Thedivergences revealed enable decision makers to choose appropriate directionsfor country reform. This method does not transpose textbook solutions to the states. The referenceframework offers an analytical approach contextualized to each country thatintegrates not only economic arguments, but also sociopolitical ones. The authorspropose an analytical guide founded on political and institutional economy. Theyanalyze decentralized policies that help stakeholders to identify the issues, pointout stumbling blocks, and ensure coherent decisions on decentralization. The bookis an asset to all those involved in negotiating and implementing approaches todecentralization.
The Political Economy of Defence
by Ron MatthewsDefence is the ultimate public good, and it thus falls to government to determine the appropriate amount of public revenue to commit to the defence of the realm. This will depend on history, strategic threat, international security obligations, entreaties from allies and, of course, the threat faced. The Political Economy of Defence is structured to identify, explain and analyse the policy, process and problems that government faces from the starting point of national security through to the ultimate objective of securing a peaceful world. Accordingly, it provides insights into how defence budgets are determined and managed, offering relevant and refreshingly practical policy perspectives on defence finance, defence and development trade-offs, sovereignty vs globalisation debates, and many other pertinent issues. It will appeal to policymakers, analysts, graduate students and academics interested in defence economics, political economy, public economics and public policy.
The Political Economy of Democratic Transitions
by Stephan Haggard Robert R. KaufmanIn the last two decades, there has been a widespread movement from authoritarian to democratic rule among developing countries, often occurring against a backdrop of severe economic crises and the adoption of market-oriented reforms. The coincidence of these events raises long-standing questions about the relationship between economic and political change. In this book, Stephan Haggard and Robert Kaufman explore this relationship, addressing a variety of questions: What role have economic crises played in the current wave of political liberalization and democratization? Can new democracies manage the daunting political challenges posed by economic reform? Under what economic and institutional conditions is democracy most likely to be consolidated? Drawing on contemporary political economy and the experiences of twelve Latin American and Asian countries, they develop a new approach to understanding democratic transitions.
The Political Economy of Development in Southeastern Europe (Contributions to Economics)
by Anastasios Karasavvoglou Persefoni Polychronidou Spyros RoukanasThis book offers important new insights into recent advances and perspectives in the field of political economy of development in Southeastern European countries. In addition, it provides theoretical and empirical contributions to political economy of development in an international context. Written by authors from Greece, Serbia and Turkey, the book covers a broad spectrum of topics – from macroeconomics and economic policy to international political economy and globalization. Presenting new and original ideas, this is a valuable resource for anyone wishing to gain a deeper understanding of political economy of development in Southeastern Europe: academicians, policymakers and business practitioners.