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on Africa |
| By: | Englander, Aaron Gabriel Ratliffe; Costello, Christopher |
| Abstract: | Many countries sell fishing rights to foreign nations and fishers. Although African coastal waters are among the world’s most biologically rich, African countries earn much less than their peers from selling access to foreign fishers. African countries sell fishing access individually (in contrast to some Pacific countries that sell access as a bloc). This paper develops a bilateral oligopoly model to simulate the effects of an African fish cartel. The model shows that wielding market power entails both ecological and economic dimensions. Africa would substantially restrict access catch, which would increase biomass by 16 percent. This would confer economic benefits to all African nations, raising profits by an average of 23 percent. These benefits arise because market power shifts from foreign buyers to African sellers. Although impediments to sustainable development, like corruption, are hard to change in the medium term, deeper African integration is an already emerging solution to African countries’ economic and ecological challenges. |
| Date: | 2023–11–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10594 |
| By: | Isser, Deborah Hannah; Raballand, Gael J. R. F.; Watts, Michael John; Zovighian, Diane |
| Abstract: | What can be learned from the governance trajectory of African countries since the beginning of the 21st century What is the quality of governance on the African continent and how does it shape development The first decade of the millennium saw promising growth and poverty reduction in much of the continent. Yet, Sub-Saharan Africa has also been the stage of a stream of governance reform failures and policy reversals, and many countries continue to suffer from the consequences of poor governance. This paper explores the dynamics of governance reform on the continent over the past two decades and points to four key trends. First, effective state institutions, capable of maintaining peace, fostering growth, and delivering services, have developed unevenly. Second, progress has been made on enhancing the inclusiveness and accountability of institutions, but it remains constrained by the weakness of checks and balances and the persistence of patterns of centralized and exclusive power arrangements. Third, civic capacity has risen considerably, but the inability of institutions to respond to social expectations and political mobilization threatens to turn liberal civic engagement into distrust, populism, and radicalization. Fourth, the combination of these three trends contributes to the rise of political instability, which constitutes a major threat for the continent. |
| Date: | 2024–03–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10713 |
| By: | Maurel, Mathilde; Pernet, Thomas |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the impact of using the Internet and social networks as sources of information on individuals' understanding of democracy. The analysis draws on data from the sixth round of the Afrobarometer survey, conducted in 2014, across a sample of African countries, some of which are democracies and others non-democracies. This topic has received limited attention in the economic literature, despite its relevance in understanding political preferences and behaviors. The sixth round of the Afrobarometer survey is particularly suited for this analysis, as it is the only wave to include both open-ended and closed-ended questions regarding individuals' understanding of democracy. In this study, we prioritize openended questions as we consider them to better capture individuals' conceptual grasp of democracy. However, we also use closed-ended questions to test the robustness of our results. Open-ended responses are structured and analyzed using the ChatGPT tool to extract meaningful insights. The identification strategy leverages the interaction between lightning activity and 3G coverage. Lightning activity introduces random interruptions in Internet access, creating an exogenous source of variation that enables causal inference. Our results indicate that the bias in understanding democracy induced by reliance on the Internet and social networks as information sources is predominantly negative. This negative bias extends to individuals' perceptions of freedom of expression and institutional corruption in political regimes. Conversely, we find a positive bias regarding perceptions of the fairness of the electoral process. These findings carry significant implications, as we document a positive association between the understanding of democracy and the preference for democratic systems. This suggests that distortions caused by Internet use, which has become a major source of information in Africa, may influence individuals' political preferences and attitudes. |
| Keywords: | Internet news, Democracy, Misunderstanding of Democracy, Africa |
| JEL: | G2 G32 L25 L6 Q53 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1571 |
| By: | Atamanov, Aziz; Cuevas, Pablo Facundo; Lebow, Jeremy Aaron; Mahler, Daniel Gerszon |
| Abstract: | Unequal access to economic opportunity for individuals with different innate characteristics, such as ethnicity or parents’ socioeconomic status, is often seen as both morally undesirable and bad for economic growth. This paper estimates inequality of opportunity, or the share of inequality explained by birth characteristics, across 18 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. For many countries, this is the first time inequality of opportunity is measured. The paper uses nationally representative household survey data harmonized to allow for cross-country comparisons. Using consumption per capita as the outcome, the findings show that inequality of opportunity in Sub-Saharan Africa is stark and more pronounced than previously estimated. On average, inherited circumstances explain more than half of inequality in the region. Estimates range from 40 to 60 percent in most countries and reach 74 percent in South Africa. The findings show that birthplace, parents’ education, and ethnicity tend to be the most significant contributors, but there is large variation in the importance of circumstances across countries. This represents the most comprehensive estimate of inequality of opportunity to date in the poorest and one of the most unequal regions in the world, and it underscores the pressing need for policy makers to intensify their efforts to address inequality of opportunity to foster societies that are more equitable and unlock the full potential for growth in the region. |
| Date: | 2024–03–18 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10723 |
| By: | Wendy Cunningham; David Newhouse; Federica Ricaldi; Seuyong, Feraud Tchuisseu; Viollaz, Mariana; Ifeanyi Nzegwu Edochie |
| Abstract: | This paper describes the state of informal sector work in urban Sub-Saharan Africa, using household surveys from 26 countries representing 61 percent of the population of Sub-Saharan Africa and firm surveys from three countries. Five main conclusions emerge. First, the urban informal sector is large and persistent in Sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 56 to 65 percent of urban workers are informal, half of whom are self-employed. Data from five countries suggest little systematic reduction in the prevalence of informality during the 2010s. Second, heterogeneity in the African informal sector cuts along demographic lines. Women are overrepresented in informal self-employment, men in informal wage work, and youth in unpaid employment. Third, while the urban informal workers are, on average, poorer and in less-skilled occupations than formal sector workers, the majority are not extremely poor and are in mid-skilled occupations. Fourth, informal enterprises are small and are challenged to survive and grow into job-creating firms. Few find much benefit from registration given the costs, both monetary (taxes) and transactional (information about the registration process). Fifth, access to urban public services (utilities) is weakly associated with the probability of working in an informal job, although access to mobile phones is high across all job types. If thriving urban jobs are to contribute to economic and social development in Africa, it will be crucial for policies and programs to take into consideration the heterogeneity in jobs, the profile of workers, and the urban context. |
| Date: | 2024–02–14 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10703 |
| By: | Zovighian, Diane; Cloutier, Mathieu; Bove, Abel Paul Basile |
| Abstract: | What drives citizen’s trust in state institutions There are longstanding debates on the pathways towards institutional trust: is trust driven by citizen’s perceptions of policy outcomes or by their perceptions of the integrity and credibility of policy processes This paper investigates this question using data from a large-scale survey of 5, 916 Moroccans and argues that process matters more than outcomes for trust-building. The paper first shows that Moroccans’ trust in institutions is strongly associated with positive evaluations of policy outcomes—including satisfaction with the delivery of public goods and services and with government’s economic performance. It then provides evidence that institutional trust is even more strongly and robustly associated with the quality of governance processes, and in particular with the perception that institutions function with integrity and make credible commitments. Going beyond policy variables, the paper also provides complementary evidence that institutional trust is contingent on individual-level social capital, including social trust, and socio-demographic factors. The conclusion briefly lays out the policy implications of this research and areas for future investigation. |
| Date: | 2024–05–22 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10783 |
| By: | Garance Genicot; Maria Hernandez-de-Benito |
| Abstract: | Does the absence of missing baby girls in sub-Saharan Africa imply a lack of son preference in the region? This paper uncovers systematic gendered effects on family structure and fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. Using data from Demographic and Health Surveys, we show that having a firstborn daughter, rather than a son, significantly influences women’s family dynamics. Women with a female firstborn experience higher long-term marriage rates but are less likely to marry the child’s father when the birth occurs prior to formal union. They also face higher divorce rates and greater likelihood of entering polygamous unions. Despite these marital transitions, they tend to have more children. Our analysis further reveals that having a firstborn daughter is associated with poorer living standards and adverse health outcomes for mothers. To examine the mechanisms driving these patterns, we employ a geographic regression discontinuity design along ancestral ethnic borders separating matrilineal and patrilineal traditions. This approach highlights patrilineality as a key driver, shaping both marriage dynamics and fertility. |
| JEL: | J13 J16 O1 |
| Date: | 2025–02 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:33505 |