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Lost Decades: Lessons from Post-Independence Latin America for Today's Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Williamson, Jeffrey G.
  • Bates, Robert H
  • Coatsworth, John H

Abstract

Africa and Latin America secured their independence from European colonial rule a century and half apart: most of Latin America after 1820 and most of Africa after 1960. Despite the distance in time and space, they share important similarities. In each case independence was followed by political instability, violent conflict and economic stagnation lasting for about a half-century (lost decades). The parallels suggest that Africa might be exiting from a period of post-imperial collapse and entering a period of relative political stability and economic growth, as did Latin America a century and a half earlier.

Suggested Citation

  • Williamson, Jeffrey G. & Bates, Robert H & Coatsworth, John H, 2006. "Lost Decades: Lessons from Post-Independence Latin America for Today's Africa," CEPR Discussion Papers 5932, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:5932
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    Cited by:

    1. David S. Jacks & Kevin H. O'Rourke & Jeffrey G. Williamson, 2011. "Commodity Price Volatility and World Market Integration since 1700," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 93(3), pages 800-813, August.
    2. Richard Grabowski, 2010. "A comparison of Latin American and African economic development with an East Asian twist," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 24(2), pages 104-116, November.
    3. Bértola, Luis & Castelnovo, Cecilia & Rodríguez, Javier & Willebald Remedios, Henry Francisco, 2008. "Income distribution in the Latin American Southern Cone during the first globalization boom, ca: 1870-1920," IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH wp08-05, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola.
    4. Frank Barry, Patrick Honohan and Tara McIndoe, Trinity College Dublin, 2009. "Postcolonial Ireland And Zimbabwe: Stagnation Before Convergence," The Institute for International Integration Studies Discussion Paper Series iiisdp291, IIIS.
    5. Sam Jones & John Page & Abebe Shimeles & Finn Tarp & Sam Jones & John Page & Abebe Shimeles & Finn Tarp, 2015. "Aid, Growth and Employment in Africa," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 27(S1), pages 1-4, October.
    6. Williams, Kevin, 2017. "Do remittances improve political institutions? Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 65-75.
    7. Kevin Williams, 2017. "Foreign Direct Investment, Economic Growth, and Political Instability," Journal of Economic Development, Chung-Ang Unviersity, Department of Economics, vol. 42(2), pages 17-37, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Lost decades; Africa; Latin america; Development; Economic history;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N0 - Economic History - - General
    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • O54 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Latin America; Caribbean
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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