IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eme/ijdipp/ijdi-03-2017-0032.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Circumventing the predatory state

Author

Listed:
  • Petra C. Besenhard
  • Nikolai G. Wenzel

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the decline of the Tuareg, and explore the emergence of traditional elements of Tuareg culture to circumvent formal barriers to trade. Design/methodology/approach - This paper examines the history of the Tuareg through the lens of the New Development Economics. Findings - This paper examines three elements of past Tuareg wealth: the caravan trade as spontaneous order; the unintended consequences of forced modernization policies under colonization and post-colonial states; and contemporary problems from hindered freedom of trade. The bad news is that the Tuareg are facing impediments from failed states with low economic and political freedom. The good news is that traditional elements in the Tuareg’s entrepreneurial culture are re-emerging to circumvent formal barriers. Research limitations/implications - The literature on the Tuareg is largely pessimistic, as the Tuareg’s traditions have largely been quashed by post-colonial boundaries and failed states. The New Development Economics offers a new perspective, with two implications. First, there is hope for the Tuareg, and a possible win-win, if the local states adopt a policy of laissez faire and international trade, rather than assimilation or repression. Second, this theoretical lens can be used in other cases throughout Africa (and the world) involving post-colonial borders. Originality/value - There already exists a rich literature on the Tuareg. This paper uses the New Development Economics to examine the history of the Tuareg’s decline – and to find hope in traditional elements of Tuareg entrepreneurship emerging to circumvent local failed (and predatory) states.

Suggested Citation

  • Petra C. Besenhard & Nikolai G. Wenzel, 2017. "Circumventing the predatory state," International Journal of Development Issues, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 16(3), pages 245-259, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:ijdipp:ijdi-03-2017-0032
    DOI: 10.1108/IJDI-03-2017-0032
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJDI-03-2017-0032/full/html?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJDI-03-2017-0032/full/pdf?utm_source=repec&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=repec
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1108/IJDI-03-2017-0032?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jensen, Michael C & Meckling, William H, 1979. "Rights and Production Functions: An Application to Labor-managed Firms and Codetermination," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 52(4), pages 469-506, October.
    2. Peter J. Boettke & Christopher J. Coyne & Peter T. Leeson, 2015. "Institutional stickiness and the New Development Economics," Chapters, in: Laura E. Grube & Virgil Henry Storr (ed.), Culture and Economic Action, chapter 6, pages 123-146, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Peter Leeson & J. Subrick, 2006. "Robust political economy," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 19(2), pages 107-111, June.
    4. Israel M. Kirzner, 1997. "Entrepreneurial Discovery and the Competitive Market Process: An Austrian Approach," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 35(1), pages 60-85, March.
    5. Boettke, Peter J. & Coyne, Christopher J., 2005. "Methodological individualism, spontaneous order and the research program of the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 57(2), pages 145-158, June.
    6. Scully, Gerald W, 1988. "The Institutional Framework and Economic Development," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(3), pages 652-662, June.
    7. Klein, Daniel, 2004. "The People’s Romance: Why People Love Government (as much as they do)," Ratio Working Papers 31, The Ratio Institute, revised 11 May 2005.
    8. Gordon Tullock, 1975. "The Transitional Gains Trap," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 6(2), pages 671-678, Autumn.
    9. North, Douglass C. & Weingast, Barry R., 1989. "Constitutions and Commitment: The Evolution of Institutions Governing Public Choice in Seventeenth-Century England," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 49(4), pages 803-832, December.
    10. Menger, Carl, 1892. "On the Origins of Money," History of Economic Thought Articles, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, vol. 2, pages 239-255.
    11. Ikeda, Sanford, 2003. "How Compatible Are Public Choice and Austrian Political Economy?," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 16(1), pages 63-75, March.
    12. Baumol, William J., 1996. "Entrepreneurship: Productive, unproductive, and destructive," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 3-22, January.
    13. Christopher J. Coyne & Peter T. Leeson, 2004. "The Plight of Underdeveloped Countries," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 24(3), pages 235-249, Fall.
    14. Nathan Rosenberg, 1960. "Some Institutional Aspects of the Wealth of Nations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 68(6), pages 557-557.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nikolai Wenzel, 2014. "Lessons from Constitutional Culture and the History of Constitutional Transfer: A Hope for Constitutionally Limited Government?," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 20(2), pages 213-226, May.
    2. Nikolai Wenzel, 2010. "From contract to mental model: Constitutional culture as a fact of the social sciences," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 23(1), pages 55-78, March.
    3. Darcy W E Allen, 2020. "When Entrepreneurs Meet:The Collective Governance of New Ideas," World Scientific Books, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., number q0269, August.
    4. Vlad Tarko, 2015. "The role of ideas in political economy," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 28(1), pages 17-39, March.
    5. Niklas Elert & Magnus Henrekson, 2021. "Entrepreneurship prompts institutional change in developing economies," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 33-53, March.
    6. Christopher Coyne & Russell Sobel & John Dove, 2010. "The non-productive entrepreneurial process," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 23(4), pages 333-346, December.
    7. Art Carden & Joshua Hall, 2010. "Why Are Some Places Rich While Others Are Poor? The Institutional Necessity Of Economic Freedom," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1), pages 48-54, March.
    8. Raymond J. March & Adam G. Martin & Audrey Redford, 2016. "The substance of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurship of substances," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(2), pages 201-220, August.
    9. Bjørnskov, Christian, 2016. "Economic freedom and economic crises," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 45(S), pages 11-23.
    10. Peter T. Leeson, 2008. "Escaping Poverty: Foreign Aid, Private Property, and Economic Development," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 23(Spring 20), pages 39-64.
    11. Boettke, Peter & Fink, Alexander, 2011. "Institutions first," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(4), pages 499-504, December.
    12. Trent J. MacDonald, 2019. "The Political Economy of Non-Territorial Exit," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 18871.
    13. Boettke, Peter J. & Coyne, Christopher J., 2009. "Context Matters: Institutions and Entrepreneurship," Foundations and Trends(R) in Entrepreneurship, now publishers, vol. 5(3), pages 135-209, March.
    14. Diana W. Thomas & Peter T. Leeson, 2012. "The brewer, the baker, and the monopoly maker," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 1(1), pages 84-95, April.
    15. Trubnikov, Dmitrii, 2021. "What entrepreneurship is really “productive”? An alternative view on Baumol's typology," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 16(C).
    16. Henrekson, Magnus & Sanandaji, Tino, 2011. "The interaction of entrepreneurship and institutions," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(1), pages 47-75, March.
    17. Russell Sobel & J. Clark & Dwight Lee, 2007. "Freedom, barriers to entry, entrepreneurship, and economic progress," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 20(4), pages 221-236, December.
    18. François Facchini, 2011. "Economic freedom in Muslim countries : an explanation using the theory of institutional path dependency," Post-Print halshs-00587694, HAL.
    19. Stephan F. Gohmann & Bradley K. Hobbs & Myra McCrickard, 2008. "Economic Freedom and Service Industry Growth in the United States," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(5), pages 855-874, September.
    20. Tino Sanandaji & Peter T. Leeson, 2013. "Billionaires," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 22(1), pages 313-337, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Globalization; Borders; Failed states; Tuareg; B52; B53; 043; 055; P47;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B52 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary; Modern Monetary Theory;
    • B53 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - Current Heterodox Approaches - - - Austrian
    • P47 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Other Economic Systems - - - Performance and Prospects

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eme:ijdipp:ijdi-03-2017-0032. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Emerald Support (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.