The Road Oft Traveled: Development Policies and Majority State Ownership of Industry in Africa

(Hardback)

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Many scholars of sub-Saharan Africa agree that inward-oriented development policies have hampered economic development in the region. Quinn questions traditional explanations for the low economic growth levels of sub-Saharan African countries by showing that majority state ownership of enterprise is a sufficient condition for inward-oriented policies and that this variable is a better predictor of such policies than other current explanations in the development literature. Supporting his observations through compelling case studies, Quinn offers a major statement that will be of interest to anyone concerned about African political and economic conditions and the future welfare of African peoples struggling to come to terms with the imperatives of a changing global economy.

Reviews

"[t]he origins of economic policies in Africa remain terribly under-studied and Quinn should be commended for having taken on this difficult topic. Not the least of the merits of this book, it has opened up a fascinating set of issues for scholars to persue in the coming years."-International Politics
[t]he origins of economic policies in Africa remain terribly under-studied and Quinn should be commended for having taken on this difficult topic. Not the least of the merits of this book, it has opened up a fascinating set of issues for scholars to persue in the coming years.-International Politics
John James Quinn's book contributes to the literature on the political origins of Africa's development failures.-APSANET.ORG
Recommended for academic collections, upper-division undergraduate through faculty.-Choice
The Road Oft Traveled tackles fascinating and important explanatory factors, and many of the ideas are essential for trying to understand the complexity of sub-Saharan African economies. The author has demonstrated with case studies that majority state ownership of either most industries or the entire major export-producing sector of a country is consistently associated with more inward-oriented economic policies that hamper a country's economic growth and development. The book will be helpful to students who want to study sub-Saharan African economics immediately after colonial rule, from th early 1960s until the mid-1980s. Africa's economic instabilities are the consequences of both external and internal forces. We must, therefore, examine Africa from both these lens. conclusion-Contemporary Sociology
"John James Quinn's book contributes to the literature on the political origins of Africa's development failures."-APSANET.ORG
"Recommended for academic collections, upper-division undergraduate through faculty."-Choice
"Sub-Saharan Africa stands out as the world's poorest and least developed region. Political scientists have long argued that political factors are largely to blame, and see Africa's economic woes growing out of distinctive government institution and inappropriate development policies."-www.apsanet.org
"The Road Oft Traveled tackles fascinating and important explanatory factors, and many of the ideas are essential for trying to understand the complexity of sub-Saharan African economies. The author has demonstrated with case studies that majority state ownership of either most industries or the entire major export-producing sector of a country is consistently associated with more inward-oriented economic policies that hamper a country's economic growth and development. The book will be helpful to students who want to study sub-Saharan African economics immediately after colonial rule, from th early 1960s until the mid-1980s. Africa's economic instabilities are the consequences of both external and internal forces. We must, therefore, examine Africa from both these lens. conclusion"-Contemporary Sociology

Author Bio

JOHN James QUINN is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Truman State University, Kirksville, Missouri.