Ellen Hillbom
Professor, Deputy head of department, Director of third cycle studies, Department of Economic History
Botswana: A development-oriented gate-keeping state
Author
Summary, in English
Due to a combination of exceptional economic growth and social development, Botswana has been hailed as an African developmental state. This article rejects the developmental state theory and instead attempts to build an alternative theoretical model. It argues that from the 1930s until the present, Botswana has experienced a state structure characterized by natural resource dependency, lack of economic diversification, a dual society, selective social development and a close connection between the economic and political elite. In the tentative theoretical model presented and discussed here, these are all defining traits of a gate-keeping state. It is hence argued that while Botswana's socio-economic development since independence should in no way be underestimated, it is better understood as the efforts of a development-oriented gate-keeping state rather than a developmental state.
Department/s
- Department of Economic History
Publishing year
2012
Language
English
Pages
67-89
Publication/Series
African Affairs
Volume
111
Issue
442
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Topic
- Economic History
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0001-9909