IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/bwp/bwppap/esid-020-13.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Investigating the links between political settlements and inclusive development in Uganda: towards a research agenda

Author

Listed:
  • Frederick Golooba-Mutebi
  • Sam Hickey

Abstract

The changing character of the political settlement in Uganda since independence has closely shaped the character and performance of the institutions and actors responsible for delivering development. Successive political leaders sought to establish 'dominant ruler' forms of political settlement, with little sustained effort to depersonalise public institutions or build stable and inclusive ruling coalitions. This seemed to change in 1986, as Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Movement (NRM) sought to establish a new settlement, based on a broad-based coalition and an ostensible commitment to development. However, the NRM's record of generating the commitment and capacity required to deliver development has been mixed. On the one hand, a mixture of elite commitment, pockets of bureaucratic excellence and external support has enabled impressive levels of economic growth, macroeconomic stability and social expenditure. However, the current settlement – characterised by deepening levels of competitive clientelism, highly personalised forms of public bureaucracy, collusive state–business relations, and a ruling coalition that is (expensively) inclusive at the lower levels while becoming narrower and more nepotistic at the pinnacle – has failed to provide the basis for tackling the more difficult challenges of achieving structural transformation, delivering high-quality public services and challenging social inequalities. The case of Uganda reveals the need to extend the current boundaries of political settlement analysis beyond a narrow focus on incentives at the national level, to incorporate a stronger focus on ideas and transnational factors. Dominant ideas around state legitimacy and development have played an important role in shaping governance and development in Uganda, and this has often involved a role for the shifting sets of transnational actors on which the regime relies to maintain itself in power. This paper includes suggestions for further research on the politics of development in Uganda, including around the extent to which the discovery of oil will both be shaped by and help reshape the political settlement.

Suggested Citation

  • Frederick Golooba-Mutebi & Sam Hickey, 2013. "Investigating the links between political settlements and inclusive development in Uganda: towards a research agenda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-020-13, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    • Handle: RePEc:bwp:bwppap:esid-020-13
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.effective-states.org/wp-content/uploads/working_papers/final-pdfs/esid_wp_20_goloobamutebi-hickey.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Matthias vom Hau, 2012. "State capacity and inclusive development: new challenges and directions," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-002-12, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    2. Mr. Abebe Aemro Selassie, 2008. "Beyond Macroeconomic Stability: The Quest for Industrialization in Uganda," IMF Working Papers 2008/231, International Monetary Fund.
    3. Todd Moss & Gunilla Pettersson & Nicolas van de Walle, 2006. "An Aid-Institutions Paradox? A Review Essay on Aid Dependency and State Building in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers 74, Center for Global Development.
    4. Frederick Golooba-Mutebi & Sam Hickey, 2010. "Governing Chronic Poverty under Inclusive Liberalism: The Case of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(7), pages 1216-1239.
    5. repec:bla:devpol:v:23:y:2005:i:2:p:165-182 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Hickey, Sam, 2005. "The politics of staying poor: exploring the political space for poverty reduction in Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 995-1009, June.
    7. Giles Mohan, 2012. "China in Africa: Impacts and prospects for accountable development," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-012-12, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    8. David Booth, 2011. "Introduction: Working with the Grain? The Africa Power and Politics Programme," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(2), pages 1-10, March.
    9. Hickey, Sam, 2013. "Beyond the Poverty Agenda? Insights from the New Politics of Development in Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 194-206.
    10. Mosley, Paul, 2012. "The Politics of Poverty Reduction," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199692125.
    11. Brautigam,Deborah & Fjeldstad,Odd-Helge & Moore,Mick (ed.), 2008. "Taxation and State-Building in Developing Countries," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521716192, September.
    12. North,Douglass C. & Wallis,John Joseph & Weingast,Barry R., 2013. "Violence and Social Orders," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107646995.
    13. repec:bla:devpol:v:22:y:2004:i:2:p:173-191 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Sandbrook,Richard & Edelman,Marc & Heller,Patrick & Teichman,Judith, 2007. "Social Democracy in the Global Periphery," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521867030, September.
    15. Sandbrook,Richard & Edelman,Marc & Heller,Patrick & Teichman,Judith, 2007. "Social Democracy in the Global Periphery," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521686877, September.
    16. Amy Poteete, 2009. "Is Development Path Dependent or Political? A Reinterpretation of Mineral-Dependent Development in Botswana," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(4), pages 544-571.
    17. Brautigam,Deborah & Fjeldstad,Odd-Helge & Moore,Mick (ed.), 2008. "Taxation and State-Building in Developing Countries," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521888158, September.
    18. Lant Pritchett & Erik Werker, 2012. "Developing the guts of a GUT (Grand Unified Theory): elite commitment and inclusive growth," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-016-12, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    19. World Bank, 2012. "World Development Report 2012 [Rapport sur le développement dans le monde 2012]," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 4391.
    20. World Bank, 2012. "Uganda - Promoting Inclusive Growth : Transforming Farms, Human Capital, and Economic Geography, Synthesis Report," World Bank Publications - Reports 12655, The World Bank Group.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ricardo Hausmann & Brad Cunningham & John Matovu & Rosie Osire & Kelly Wyett, 2014. "How should Uganda grow?," Growth Lab Working Papers 52, Harvard's Growth Lab.
    2. Bukenya, Badru & Golooba-Mutebi, Frederick, 2020. "What explains sub-national variation in maternal mortality rates within developing countries? A political economy explanation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    3. Simplice A. Asongu & Gerald Emmanuel Arhin & Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai & Justice Bawole, 2022. "The Political Economy of the Oil and Gas Sector in Emerging and Developing Countries," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 22/029, African Governance and Development Institute..
    4. Sam Hickey & Badru Bukenya, 2016. "The politics of promoting social cash transfers in Uganda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-069-16, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    5. Sam Hickey & Badru Bukenya, 2016. "The politics of promoting social cash transfers in Uganda," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-118, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Josephine Ahikire & Amon A. Mwiine, 2015. "The politics of promoting gender equity in contemporary Uganda: Cases of the Domestic Violence Law and the policy on Universal Primary Education," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-055-15, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    7. repec:ilo:ilowps:487627 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Sam Hickey & Badru Bukenya & Angelo Izama & William Kizito, 2015. "The political settlement and oil in Uganda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-048-15, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    9. Sophie King & Peter Kasaija, 2018. "State-movement partnership in Uganda: Co-producing an enabling environment for urban poverty reduction?," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-098-18, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    10. KjÆr, Anne Mette, 2015. "Political Settlements and Productive Sector Policies: Understanding Sector Differences in Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 230-241.
    11. Pablo Yanguas, 2017. "Varieties of state-building in Africa: Elites, ideas and the politics of public sector reform," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-089-17, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    12. Sam Hickey & Badru Bukenya, 2016. "The politics of promoting social cash transfers in Uganda," WIDER Working Paper Series 118, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. Tom Lavers & Sam Hickey, 2015. "Investigating the political economy of social protection expansion in Africa: At the intersection of transnational ideas and domestic politics," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-047-15, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    14. Sophie King & Sam Hickey, 2015. "Beyond elite bargains: building democracy from below in Uganda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-045-15, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    15. Badru Bukenya & William Muhumuza, 2017. "The politics of core public sector reform in Uganda: Behind the facade," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-085-17, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    16. Anne Mette Kjaer & Nansozi K. Muwanga, 2016. "Inclusion as political mobilisation: The political economy of quality education initiatives in Uganda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-065-16, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    17. Frederick Golooba-Mutebi, 2013. "Politics, political settlements and social change in post-colonial Rwanda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-024-13, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    18. Sam Hickey & Badru Bukenya, 2021. "The politics of promoting social cash transfers in Uganda: The potential and pitfalls of “thinking and working politically”," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 39(S1), pages 1-20, August.
    19. Sam Hickey & Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai & Angelo Izama & Giles Mohan, 2015. "The politics of governing oil effectively: A comparative study of two new oil-rich states in Africa," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-054-15, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    20. Badru Bukenya & Sam Hickey, 2019. "The shifting fortunes of the economic technocracy in Uganda: Caught between state-building and regime survival?," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-121-19, GDI, The University of Manchester.

    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. Matthias vom Hau, 2012. "State capacity and inclusive development: new challenges and directions," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-002-12, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    2. Sophie King & Sam Hickey, 2015. "Beyond elite bargains: building democracy from below in Uganda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-045-15, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    3. Sophie King, 2014. "The political economy of social accountability in rural Uganda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 19514, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    4. Sam Hickey, 2012. "Thinking about the politics of inclusive development: towards a relational approach," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-001-12, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    5. Paul Mosley, 2012. "The politics of what works for the poor in public expenditure and taxation: a review," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-011-12, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    6. Andersson, Martin, 2018. "Resilience to Economic Shrinking: A Social Capability Approach to Processes of Catching up in the Developing World 1951-2016," Lund Papers in Economic History 183, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    7. Mosley, Paul, 2012. "Fiscal Composition and Aid Effectiveness: A Political-Economy Model," WIDER Working Paper Series 029, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    8. Hickey, Sam, 2013. "Beyond the Poverty Agenda? Insights from the New Politics of Development in Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 194-206.
    9. repec:unu:wpaper:wp2012-29 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Paul Mosley, 2012. "Fiscal Composition and Aid Effectiveness: A Political-Economy Model," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2012-029, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    11. Sophie King, 2014. "Cultivating political capabilities among Ugandan smallholders: good governance or popular organisation building?," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 19314, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    12. Sam Hickey & Badru Bukenya & Angelo Izama & William Kizito, 2015. "The political settlement and oil in Uganda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-048-15, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    13. Arjan de Haan & Ward Warmerdam, 2012. "The politics of aid revisited: a review of evidence on state capacity and elite commitment," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-007-12, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    14. Timothy Besley & Torsten Persson, 2011. "Pillars of Prosperity: The Political Economics of Development Clusters," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 9624.
    15. Dawson, Andrew, 2013. "The Social Determinants of the Rule of Law: A Comparison of Jamaica and Barbados," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 314-324.
    16. repec:idq:ictduk:13751 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Deval Desai & Michael Woolcock, 2012. "The politics of rule of law systems in developmental states: 'political settlements' as a basis for promoting effective justice institutions for marginalized groups," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-008-12, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    18. Thorsten Beck & Samuel Munzele Maimbo, 2013. "Financial Sector Development in Africa : Opportunities and Challenges," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 11881.
    19. Tripp, Aili Mari, 2012. "Donor Assistance and Political Reform in Tanzania," WIDER Working Paper Series 037, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    20. Mosley, Paul, 2015. "Fiscal Composition and Aid Effectiveness: A Political Economy Model," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 106-115.
    21. Gwaindepi, Abel, 2019. "Domestic revenue mobilization in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America: A comparative analysis since 1980," Lund Papers in Economic History 209, Lund University, Department of Economic History.
    22. Resnick, Danielle, 2012. "Foreign Aid in Africa: Tracing Channels of Influence on Democratic Transitions and Consolidation," WIDER Working Paper Series 015, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:bwp:bwppap:esid-020-13. 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: Rowena Harding (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/wpmanuk.html .

    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.