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Portrait of Ellen Hillbom. Photo.

Ellen Hillbom

Professor, Deputy head of department, Director of third cycle studies, Department of Economic History

Portrait of Ellen Hillbom. Photo.

Botswana: A development-oriented gate-keeping state

Author

  • Ellen Hillbom

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