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Understanding African Poverty over the Longue Durée: A Review of Africa's Development in Historical Perspective

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  • Margaret McMillan

Abstract

The sixteen essays edited and synthesized by Emmanuel Akyeampong, Robert H. Bates, Nathan Nunn, and James A. Robinson contribute significantly to our understanding of the following questions: (1) When did Africa become poor? (2) Why did Africa become poor? (3) Why has Africa remained poor? Although these questions are impossible to answer in a definitive way, the partial explanations offered in this book are insightful and thought provoking and are summarized in this article. However, they also rest primarily on economic and political arguments. The importance of geography, which is mostly not explored in these essays, is reviewed in the final section of this article.

Suggested Citation

  • Margaret McMillan, 2016. "Understanding African Poverty over the Longue Durée: A Review of Africa's Development in Historical Perspective," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 54(3), pages 893-905, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:jeclit:v:54:y:2016:i:3:p:893-905
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/jel.20151293
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kazianga, Harounan & Masters, William A. & McMillan, Margaret S., 2014. "Disease control, demographic change and institutional development in Africa," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 313-326.
    2. Lewis, W Arthur, 1979. "The Dual Economy Revisited," The Manchester School of Economic & Social Studies, University of Manchester, vol. 47(3), pages 211-229, September.
    3. Allen, Robert C., 2011. "Global Economic History: A Very Short Introduction," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199596652, Decembrie.
    4. Amsden, the late Alice H. & DiCaprio, Alisa & Robinson, James A. (ed.), 2012. "The Role of Elites in Economic Development," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199659036, Decembrie.
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    Cited by:

    1. Hatzenbuehler, Patrick L. & Abbott, Philip C. & Abdoulaye, Tahirou, 2017. "Evaluation of Nigerian agricultural production data," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 12(2), June.
    2. Bennett, Daniel L. & Faria, Hugo J. & Gwartney, James D. & Morales, Daniel R., 2017. "Economic Institutions and Comparative Economic Development: A Post-Colonial Perspective," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 503-519.
    3. Patrick L. Hatzenbuehler & George Mavrotas, 2021. "Combining household and price data to target food marketing interventions in Nigeria," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(2), pages 493-505, April.
    4. Sakiru Adebola Solarin & Luis A. Gil-Alana & Maria Jesus Gonzalez-Blanch, 2021. "Fractional persistence in income poverty in Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 155(2), pages 563-581, June.
    5. Naudé, Wim & Tregenna, Fiona, 2023. "Africa's Industrialization Prospects: A Fresh Look," IZA Discussion Papers 16043, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • F54 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - Colonialism; Imperialism; Postcolonialism
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • N17 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Africa; Oceania
    • N37 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Africa; Oceania
    • N47 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Africa; Oceania
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General

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