nep-afr New Economics Papers
on Africa
Issue of 2009‒10‒17
six papers chosen by
Quentin Wodon
World Bank
  1. Measuring Ethno-Linguistic Affinity between Nations By Olaf J. de Groot
  2. Does the real GDP per capita convergence hold in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa? By Amélie Charles; Olivier Darné; Jean-François Hoarau
  3. Missão de Estudos África-Brasil em Promoção e Proteção Social By South-South Learning Unit
  4. Yes You Can, Can’t You? A Statistical Comparison of Economic Liberalizations Around the World By Tommaso Nannicini; Andreas Billmeier
  5. Policy Reform and Aid Effectiveness in Africa By Mina Baliamoune
  6. Boas Perspectivas para a Proteção Social em Angola By South-South Learning Unit
  1. By: Olaf J. de Groot
    Abstract: Research on ethno-linguistic ties has so far mostly focused on domestic measures of ethno-linguistic heterogeneity. Little attention has been given to the possibility that ethno-linguistic relations between countries may affect out- comes, particularly in a spatial econometric context. In this paper, I propose a way of measuring Ethno-Linguistic Affinity between nations. This new index measures the degree of similarity two randomly drawn individuals from two different populations can be expected to display. I show that this measure has a number of attractive theoretical characteristics, which make it particularly useful and continue to actually construct such a measure for all countries in Africa. Finally, using this measure of Ethno-Linguistic Affinity, I show that civil conflict in Africa is likely to spill over between contiguous ethno-linguistically similar countries.
    Keywords: Ethno-Linguistic heterogeneity, spatial econometrics, conflict, Africa
    JEL: C21 F51 O10
    Date: 2009
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp921&r=afr
  2. By: Amélie Charles (Audencia Nantes, School of Management - Audencia, School of Management); Olivier Darné (LEMNA - Laboratoire d'économie et de management de Nantes Atlantique - Université de Nantes : EA4272); Jean-François Hoarau (CERESUR - Université de la Réunion)
    Abstract: This article examines the convergence of real GDP per capita in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) during the period 1950-2003. Income departures across countries were evaluated from several panel data unit root tests, especially we consider the absolute and conditional convergence. We find no evidence supporting the existence of convergence process for the income in the COMESA. Nevertheless, applying economic development criterion allows to identity two absolute convergence clubs into the COMESA, one for the most four developed countries (Egypt, Libya, Mauritius, Seychelles), and one other for the fourteen less developed ones. Thus, we show that most economies of COMESA are locked into a sustained poverty trap process.
    Date: 2009
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-00422522_v1&r=afr
  3. By: South-South Learning Unit (IPC-IG)
    Date: 2009–08
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipc:pubpor:1465803&r=afr
  4. By: Tommaso Nannicini; Andreas Billmeier
    Abstract: We use a transparent statistical methodology for data-driven case studies—synthetic control methods—to investigate the impact of economic liberalization episodes on the pattern of real per capita GDP in a worldwide sample of countries. Economic liberalizations are measured by a widely used indicator that captures the scope of the market in the economy, mainly in terms of openness to international trade. The applied methodology compares the post-liberalization growth of treated (open) economies with the growth of a convex combination of similar but untreated (closed) economies, controlling for time-varying unobservables. We find that opening up the economy had a positive effect in most regions that we can analyze in our framework, but we note that more recent liberalizations (after 1990), mainly in Africa, had no significant impact on growth, indicating an “early bird” gain from globalization.
    Date: 2009
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:igi:igierp:352&r=afr
  5. By: Mina Baliamoune
    Abstract: We present a model of vertical product differentiation and exit where a domestic and a foreign firm face fixed setup costs and quality-dependent costs of production and compete in quality and price in the domestic market. Quality-dependent costs are quadratic in qualities, but independent of the quantities produced. The domestic government may impose a minimum quality standard binding for both foreign and domestic firms. In the presence of an initial cost advantage of the domestic firm, a sufficiently high minimum quality standard set by the domestic government will enable the domestic firm to induce exit of the foreign firm, i.e. to engage in predation. However, the same standard would lead to predation by the foreign firm, if the foreign firm had the initial cost advantage!
    Date: 2009–07
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:icr:wpicer:19-2009&r=afr
  6. By: South-South Learning Unit (IPC-IG)
    Keywords: Proteção Social, Angola
    Date: 2009–02
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipc:pubpor:3344688&r=afr
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