Determinants of Quality Institutions: A Comparative Analysis of Various Perspectives
Main Article Content
Abstract
While institutions are products of human designs, yet, these vital organs differ from one society to another. Responsible for the differences are: geographical location, colonial origin, legal system tradition, ethnolinguistic fragmentation, natural resources endowment, income distribution, international openness and education. How rich these factors are will determine the quality of a country’s institutions. Thus, there is a link between a country’s level of development and the quality of the institutions it operates. This paper examines the relationship between institutions, development and good governance. It argues that economic stagnancy in sub-Sahara Africa can be traced to the poor institutions in these regions.
Downloads
Article Details
Authors hold the copyright of all published articles except otherwise stated.
References
Being the Text of a Paper Presented at the 4th Annual National Conference of
the Social Studies Association of Nigeria (SOSAN), Faculty of Education,
University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
Acemoglu, D, S. Johnson and J. Robinson (2001). “The Colonial Origins of
Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation.” American Economic
Review. December 91(5): 1369–1401.
Acemoglu, D., S. Johnson, J., Robinson and Y. Thaicharoen (2002). “Institutional
Causes, Macroeconomic Symptoms: Volatility, Crises and Growth,” National
Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Working Paper, No. 9124, Issued in
August.
Agbaje, A. (1998). “Parties of the Electoral Process in a Democracy.” In Ayoade,
J.A.A. (ed.) Democracy: its Meaning & Value, ( Ibadan: Vantage ).
Alonso, J.A. and C. Garcinmartin (2004). “The Determinants of Institutional Quality:
More on the Debate,” Centre for Research in Economic Development and
International Trade, University of Nottingham (CREDIT), CREDIT Research
Paper, No. 09/4, retrieved from www.nottingham.ac.uk/economics/credit,
accessed 10 April 2013.
Auerback, M. (2001). “Thailand’s Election: More Signs of Backlash against the
West” Japan Policy Research Institute, Paper No. 21.
Babawale T. and D. Ashiru (2006).”Funding Political Parties in Nigeria.” In Money,
Politics and Corruption in Nigeria, IFES “Nigeria Election Support 2007”
Programme, Abuja, pp. 68-77.
Bayo, A. (2002) “Globalisation and Nigeria Economy,” The Economist 4, 36-37.
Bosker, M. and H. Garretsen (2008). “Economic Development and the Geography
of Institutions, Journal of Economic Geography, retrieved from
www.joeg.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/lbn047, accessed 20
February 2009.
Bourguignon, F. (2005). “The Dynamics of Institutions, Development, and Elites”
Beyond Transition, October-December, Volume 16, No. 4.
Brinks, D.M. and V. Gauri (2012). “The Law’s Majestic Equality? The Distributive
Impact of litigating Social and Economic Rights,” Policy Research Working
Paper, 5999, The World Bank.
Cheng, T. (2003). “Political Institution and the Malaise of East Asian New
Democracies,” Journal of East Asian Studies 3, 1-41.
Chesnais, F. (2004). “Globalisation against Development”, International Socialism
Journal, 102, Spring, 2004. Retrieved from http:// pubs.socialistreviewindex.org.uk/
isj102/chesnais.ht. Accessed 01 February 2010.
Department for International Development (DFID) (2003). Promoting Institutional
and Organisational Development. London: DFID.
Easterly, W. and R. Levine (1997). “Africa’s Growth Tragedy: Policies and Ethnic
Divisions,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 112, No.4, pp 12031250.
Faber, G. and M. Gerritse (2009). “External influences on Local Institutions: Spatial
Dependence and Openness, Utrecht School of Economics, Tjalling C.
Koopmans Research Institute, Discussion Paper Series 09-11, May.
Falana, F. Corrupt Public Officers Buying Up PHCN, PM News, 26 September
2012, www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2012/09/26/those-who-acquired-phcn
Galanter, M. (1974). “Why the ‘Haves’ Come out Ahead: Speculations on the
Limits of Legal Change.” Law & Society Review 9(1): 95-160.
Garcia, A. (2005). “Latin America 1980-2005: Institutions, Growth and Poverty.”
Beyond Transition, April – June, Volume 16, No. 2.
Hall, R. & C. Jones. (1999). “Why Do Some Countries Produce So Much More
Output Per Worker Than Others?,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, Volume
114 , No. 1:83-116, February.
Hirschl, R. (2000). “The Political Origins of Judicial Empowerment through
constitutionalisation: Lessons from Four Constitutional Revolutions.” Law
and Social Inquiry, Journal of the American Bar Foundation 25(1): 91-149.
Ichino, A., and G. Maggi (1999). “Work Environment and Individual Background:
Explaining Regional Shirking Differentials in a Large Italian Firm.” NBER
Working Paper, No. W7415.
Idowu, A.A. (2008). Human Rights, Democracy and Development: The Nigerian
Experience, Research Journal of International Studies, Issue 8, November.
Islam, R. and C. Montenegro (2002). What Determines the Quality of Institutions?
Background Paper for the World Development Report 2002.
Knack, S. and P. Keefer (1995) “Institutions and Economic Performance:
CrossCountry Tests using Alternative Institutional Measures.” Economics
and Politics, Vol. 7, No.3, (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd), November.
National Bureau of Statistics (2013) Annual Abstracts of Statistics, 2011, Federal
Republic of Nigeria, Abuja.
North, Douglas C. (1990) Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic
Performance (New York: Cambridge University Press).
OECD Observer (2000) Globalisation: Neither a Devil nor a Panacea, w w w. o e c
d o b s e r v e r. o r g / n e w s / f u l l s t o r y. p h p / a i d / 2 8 8 /Globalisation:_
neither_adevilnor_a_panacea.html. Accessed September 17, 2011
Olson, M. (1982) The Rise and Decline of Nations ( New Haven: Yale University
Press).
Rodrik, D. (2003): “What do We Learn from Country Narratives?” in D. Rodrik
(ed.), In Search of Prosperity: Analytic Narratives on Economic Growth.
Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Rodrik, D., A. Subramanian and F. Trebbi (2004). “Institutions Rule: The Primacy of
Institutions over Geography and Integration in Economic Development.”
Journal of Economic Growth, V9 (2, June), 131-165.
Schattschneider, E.E. (1942). Party Government. New York: Hott, Rinehart and
Winston.
Siba, E.G. (2008). “Determinants of Institutional Quality in Sub-Saharan African
Countries,” School of Business, Economics and Law, University of
Gothenburg,” Working Papers in Economics, No 310, June.
Tabellini, G. (2005). “Culture and Institutions: Economic Development in the Regions
of Europe.” Cesifo Working Paper No. 1492, Category 5: Fiscal Policy,
Macroeconomics and Growth, July.
The Guardian, United Kingdom at www.guardian.co.uk, 24 February, 2012.
The Vanguard, Nigeria: Weak Political Parties and Democracy, 20 February 2007.
Tijani, H.O. (2010). “New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) as the
Strategic Response to the Globalisation Challenge.” In Global South,
SouthSouth Exchange Programme for Research on the History of Development
(SEPHIS), Netherlands, Volume 6, No.2, April, www.sephisemagazine.org.
Tijani, H.O. (2013) “President Obama’s Upcoming Africa Trip: Good Governance,
Economic Development and Institutional Strengthening as High Priorities.”
Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution. Available at: http://
www.brookings.edu/blogs/up-front/posts/2013/06/28-obama-tripafricanperspectives-kamau.
Weingast, B. (1993). “The Political Foundations of Democracy and the Rule of
Law,” IRIS Working Paper No. 54.
World Bank (2002). World Development Report 2002: Building Institutions for
Markets ( New York: Oxford University Press, 2002).