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Forget your gods: African evidence on the relation between state capacity and cognitive ability of leading politicians

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  • Kodila-Tedika , Oasis

    (Department of Economics, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.)

Abstract

This paper uses a unique dataset to investigate the effect of the cognitive ability of leading politicians on state capacity. Given the evidence that cognitive ability of leading politicians’ affects state capacity positively, except Africa. For the continent, this relationship between state and cognitive ability of leading politicians is negative. This finding is robust to a wide range of specifications and controls variables. Justifications for the unexpected nexus are provided.

Suggested Citation

  • Kodila-Tedika , Oasis, 2014. "Forget your gods: African evidence on the relation between state capacity and cognitive ability of leading politicians," European Economic Letters, European Economics Letters Group, vol. 3(1), pages 7-11.
    • Handle: RePEc:ris:eueclt:0020
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    Cited by:

    1. Simplice A. Asongu & Oasis Kodila-Tedika, 2018. "Determinants of Property Rights Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 9(4), pages 1291-1308, December.
    2. Kodila-Tedika, Oasis & Mutascu, Mihai, 2014. "Tax Revenues and Intelligence: A Cross-Sectional Evidence," MPRA Paper 57581, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Oasis, Kodila-Tedika, 2013. "Do Nations Combine O-Rings with Cobb-Douglas? Evidence from agriculture, equipment production, and the informal sector," MPRA Paper 51347, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Oasis Kodila-Tedika & Martin Mulunda Kabange, 2016. "Age of politicians and Regulatory Reform," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 16/003, African Governance and Development Institute..
    5. Kodila-Tedika, Oasis, 2014. "Education, paludisme et moustiquaires imprégnées d'insecticide en Afrique sub-saharienne," MPRA Paper 55913, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Kodila-Tedika, Oasis & Khalifa, Sherif & Konso Mulali, Ben, 2020. "Who Becomes Minister in an Autocratic Regime? Evidence From DRC," MPRA Paper 103022, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    State capacity; Cognitive ability of leading politicians; Intelligence; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D02 - Microeconomics - - General - - - Institutions: Design, Formation, Operations, and Impact
    • H11 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Structure and Scope of Government
    • O20 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Development Planning and Policy - - - General
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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