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Democracy and growth in Africa

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  • Thorvaldur Gylfason

    (University of Iceland)

Abstract

What do economists, including those who have become national leaders, think about the relationship between democracy and economic growth? This matters in view of the recent decline of democracy even in places where democracy was supposed to be safe. I asked ChatGPT a simple question: Can you please draft a 500-word address that economist X might deliver or have delivered on the relationship between democracy and economic growth? — where X included two African national leaders, both economists by training, Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's leader 1957–1966, and Julius Nyerere, who led Tanzania 1964–1985. On the Polity IV Project's Polity2 scale from -10 (autocracy) to 10 (democracy), Ghana scored -9 under Nkrumah while Tanzania scored -6 under Nyerere. As you will see, their views as imagined by ChatGPT are remarkably similar. No changes have been made in the wording. What follows is brief excerpts.

Suggested Citation

  • Thorvaldur Gylfason, 2026. "Democracy and growth in Africa," Development Finance Agenda, Chartered Institute of Development Finance, vol. 11(3), pages 10-11.
    • Handle: RePEc:afj:journ4:v:11:y:2026:i:3:p:10-11
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    File URL: https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/ejc-defa_v11_n3_a3
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