Botswana: A development-oriented gate-keeping state
(2012) In African Affairs 111(442). p.67-89- Abstract
- 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... (More)
- 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. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/2355121
- author
- Hillbom, Ellen LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2012
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- African Affairs
- volume
- 111
- issue
- 442
- pages
- 67 - 89
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000299495800004
- scopus:84855655270
- ISSN
- 0001-9909
- DOI
- 10.1093/afraf/adr070
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 0d9d0cfc-c9cc-414e-9508-5810f0e5ee65 (old id 2355121)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 11:07:30
- date last changed
- 2022-04-05 00:16:42
@article{0d9d0cfc-c9cc-414e-9508-5810f0e5ee65,
abstract = {{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.}},
author = {{Hillbom, Ellen}},
issn = {{0001-9909}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{442}},
pages = {{67--89}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{African Affairs}},
title = {{Botswana: A development-oriented gate-keeping state}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/afraf/adr070}},
doi = {{10.1093/afraf/adr070}},
volume = {{111}},
year = {{2012}},
}