Africa’s Underdevelopment Discourse: A Perspective on Its Source of Persistence and Possible Solutions

Since independence the underdevelopment discourse in relation to Africa has been a persistent debate. Efforts at overcoming such a challenge tended to have defied conventional wisdom, and since we cannot stop except a solution is found, greater energies are required to solving the riddle. Consequent upon the above, this study shall examine Africa’s underdevelopment discourse with focus on its sources of persistence and possible solutions. The study adopted the historical approach and applied the institutional theory as basis for analysis of secondarily sourced materials. The study found that Africa’s underdevelopment goes beyond slavery, colonialism, imperialism and corruption as earlier studies by afro-centric/Marxist scholars and recent studies will suggest. This study rather found that the root of the persistence of Africa’s underdevelopment lies in the spate of civil wars/ethnic cleansing ravaging the land; the domination approach of one ethnic group over the other, the dysfunctional political structure/weak institutional framework and failure to adopt hook, line and sinker, a workable development model. The study therefore recommends the building of strong institutional framework that entrenches the supremacy of the law, the restructuring of the political system to ensure that regions develop at their own pace and the adoption of a development model that emphasizes the development of the coastal region as the gateway for economic development, huge investments in research and development coupled with efficient monitoring and management system. Keywords: Development, Underdevelopment, Institutions, ethnic cleansing, civil war and political structure/management syste

Islands of Good Government: Explaining Successful Corruption Control in Two Spanish Cities

Between 2012 and 2018, Spanish public opinion has been shaken by a seemingly endless series of corruption scandals, to the point that corruption has become one of the main long-term concerns of the Spanish population, according to nation-wide surveys. Despite the sharp rise in corruption scandals within local authorities, there are Spanish cities that have managed to limit corruption and build a transparent and efficient government, which stand out as islands of integrity and good governance. This article qualitatively investigates two cities in Spain—Alcobendas and Sant Cugat del Vallès—which, despite being in a region with comparatively lower quality of government, have managed to successfully control corruption. We argue that the key to success is the administrative reorganization prompted by the appointment of city managers that institutionalized professional management. Findings also have implications for practitioners, meaning that complex anti-corruption legislative frameworks will not work within an overburdened administration unless the administrative structure is reformed

Transnational Litigation as a Prisoner\u27s Dilemma

In this Article we use game theory to argue that perceptions of widespread corruption in the judicial processes in developing countries create ex ante incentives to act corruptly. It is rational (though not moral) to preemptively act corruptly when litigating in the courts of many developing nations. The upshot of this analysis is to highlight that, contrary to judicial narratives in individual cases — such as the (in)famous Chevron–Ecuador dispute used herein as an illustration — the problem of corruption in transnational litigation is structural and as such calls for structural solutions. The article offers one such solution: the establishment of an international court of civil justice

Dezinformacije kao geopolitički rizik za transatlantske institucije

Disinformation has become a geopolitical risk for transatlantic institutions and for the global democratic alliance. Russia and China as authoritarian powers have had a long-standing interest to undermine the institutions of the liberal international order, led by the United States, the European Union and the NATO alliance. That way, disinformation can undermine trust in the liberal democratic system, including free market economy, individual liberty and open society. This geopolitical risk poses a significant threat to fact-based and evidence-based policymaking in many areas, including economy and security. Comprehensive counter-intelligence policy solutions can detect and mitigate this risk by ensuring broader institutional and societal resilience through lifelong civic education.Dezinformacije su postale geopolitički rizik za transatlantske institucije i za globalno demokratsko savezništvo. Rusija i Kina kao autoritarne sile imaju dugotrajni interes za potkopavanje institucija liberalnog međunarodnog poretka, pod vodstvom Sjedinjenih Država, Europske unije I NATO saveza. Na taj način dezinformacije mogu potkopavati povjerenje u sustav liberalne demokracije, uključujući slobodno tržišno gospodarstvo, individualne slobode i otvoreno društvo. Navedeni geopolitički rizik predstavlja značajnu prijetnju za stvaranje javnih politika na temelju činjenica i dokaza u mnogim područjima, uključujući ekonomiju i sigurnost. Cjelovita rješenja protuobavještajne javne politike mogu detektirati i ublaživati navedeni rizik, osiguravajući širu institucionalnu i društvenu otpornost kroz cjeloživotno građansko obrazovanje

Strengthening governance through engaged societies : lessons from the implementation of poverty reduction strategies

In December 1999, the Boards of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund approved a new approach to their relations with low-income countries. The approach was centered around the development and implementation of Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRS), which are intended to be country-driven and medium- to long-term in perspective, comprehensive and results-oriented, partnership-oriented, and built on broad-based participation. Against this tall order of business, experience to date has been varied, and much debate is ongoing on whether the approach can be considered more than"old wine in new bottles."This paper-based on the results of a thorough review of the five-year implementation experience-examines the implementation of the PRS approach from the point of view of participation and accountability. For some 50 countries adopting the approach since 1999, it discusses the factors which can facilitate the development of accountability and participatory governance mechanisms. Lessons learned from distinct country circumstances are analyzed, arguing that ownership of the PRS depends on the way countries and their external donor partners handle real tensions in the relationship between country ownership on the one hand, and perceptions of internationally-driven prescriptions on the other. The central message of the paper is that in several countries the PRS initiative has helped open up societies to forms of dialogue and contestability not previously experienced in-country or observed by external partners. This positive outcome, however, has been largely influenced by the extent to which the PRS process has reinforced existing trends and strengthened institutions already prone to open discussion of policy choices. The paper also shows that even in the best cases change has, to date, been largely in the area of process and that impact of participatory governance on policymaking, while emerging, is still a work in progress. The paper concludes with recommendations for how developing country societies might sustain real achievements in participatory governance and domestic accountability going forward, with external partners playing a key supportive role through harmonization and alignment.Governance Indicators,Social Accountability,Poverty Monitoring&Analysis,Achieving Shared Growth,Rural Poverty Reduction

Sustainable development under the conditions of European integration. Part I

This collective monograph offers the description of sustainable development in the condition of European integration. The authors of individual chapters have chosen such point of view for the topic which they considered as the most important and specific for their field of study using the methods of logical and semantic analysis of concepts, the method of reflection, textual reconstruction and comparative analysis. The theoretical and applied problems of sustainable development in the condition of European integration are investigated in the context of economics, education, cultural, politics and law