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Law, Economic Growth and Human Development: Evidence from Africa

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  • Asongu Simplice

    (Yaoundé/Cameroun)

Abstract

This paper cuts adrift the mainstream approach to the legal-origins debate on the law-growth nexus by integrating both overall economic and human components in our understanding of how regulation quality and the rule of law lie at the heart of economic and inequality adjusted human developments. Findings summarily reveal that legal-origin does not explain economic growth and human development beyond the mechanisms of law. Our results support the current consensus that, English common-law countries provide for better legal systems that improve conditions for economic growth and human development than French civil-law countries. Portuguese civil-law countries lie between the French-speaking and North African countries, while French sub-Saharan Africa is slightly below the average of Francophone Africa. As a policy implication, results support the benefits of the rule of law and quality of regulation as channels to economic growth and human development.

Suggested Citation

  • Asongu Simplice, 2011. "Law, Economic Growth and Human Development: Evidence from Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 11/010, African Governance and Development Institute..
    • Handle: RePEc:agd:wpaper:11/010
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    File URL: http://www.afridev.org/RePEc/agd/agd-wpaper/Law-economic-growth-and-human-development.-Evidence-from-Africa.pdf
    File Function: Revised version, 2013
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    2. Simplice A. Asongu, 2015. "Law,Finance, Economic Growth and Welfare: Why Does Legal Origin Matter?," Institutions and Economies (formerly known as International Journal of Institutions and Economies), Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Malaya, vol. 7(2), pages 30-55, July.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Law; economic growth; human development; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I00 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General - - - General
    • K20 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - General
    • K40 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - General
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa
    • P50 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems - - - General

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