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Date of Award
9-2011
Access Type
Campus Access
Document type
dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Program
Political Science
First Advisor
Peter M. Haas
Second Advisor
M. J. Peterson
Third Advisor
Carlene J. Edie
Subject Categories
African Studies | International Relations | Political Science
Abstract
This dissertation examines the factors that account for the variation in policy choices and implementation among sub-Saharan African countries that pursued neoliberal economic reforms since the 1980s. It shows that governments' response varied both across time and policy areas. Using process tracing and cross-case analysis, this dissertation examines the influence of both international and domestic level factors regarding neoliberal policy choices and implementation in Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. While the strength of the various explanations varies across cases, the empirical evidence shows that crisis, interest groups, and epistemic community are more powerful in explaining governments' policy choices. Domestic institutions and epistemic community offer the strongest support for policy implementation. Since the epistemic community variable is strong in explaining both policy choice and implementation, these findings are more supportive of the Constructivist explanation for policy reforms. The evidence shows that neoliberal economic reforms in Ghana have been successful while those in Kenya and Zimbabwe have been less successful. Botswana, however, does not fit the crisis-driven conceptual model adopted in this dissertation and therefore requires further examination.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/5683656
Recommended Citation
Azindow, Yakubu M, "Beyond Promise: Politics, Institutions And Neoliberal Economic Reforms In Four African Countries" (2011). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 282.
https://doi.org/10.7275/5683656
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/282