‘The place to look for the obstacles to economic growth are the institutions that protect narrow ... more ‘The place to look for the obstacles to economic growth are the institutions that protect narrow elites at the expense of broad access to opportunities for economic advancement and effective protection of property rights’ (Hoff, 2003:220) ‘In very few African countries have business interest groups become part of the solution to the economic crisis that plagues the continent’ (Bräutigam, Rakner and Taylor, 2002:543) IPPG Discussion Papers available at www.ippg.org.uk
Adopting an historical institutionalist approach, we show that the politics of state-business rel... more Adopting an historical institutionalist approach, we show that the politics of state-business relations (SBRs) in Malawi have been shaped by three historical factors, namely (a) the low level of capitalist development in the country; (b) the dominant influence of the Malawian state and political regime under Dr Banda for the first 30 years of independence; and (c) the manner in which informal institutions of generalized reciprocity, deeply and authentically embedded in Malawian culture and values, have contributed to blurring the distinction between the public and the private. Historically, the post-independence state exercised excessive influence through regulations and restrictions and dominated the business sector itself through statutory corporations and their subsidiaries. The private sector has been viewed by the state with suspicion and mistrust while the private sector has regarded the state as a source of patronage and opportunity. Close links and personal traffic between t...
Since the abortive attempt to scrap off presidential term limits in 2002, the role of traditional... more Since the abortive attempt to scrap off presidential term limits in 2002, the role of traditional leaders in multi-party democracy in Malawi has been on the spotlight. Popular debate has been concerned with whether traditional leadership is compatible with the aspirations associated with the current political dispensation. While there have been numerous calls for traditional leaders to disengage from overt partisan politics, the practice has continued virtually unabated in favour of the party in government. The question regarding how and why chiefs are at the centre of the often confused partisan politicking has not received sufficient scholarly attention to inform institutional reforms necessary for the democracy consolidation project in Malawi. This paper deploys the approach of historical institutionalism and invokes the concept of ‘path dependence’ to attempt an explanation of the mechanisms and political imperatives that undergird the controversial partisan role of traditional ...
... Manchester for all the administrative support throughout the programme. For direct research a... more ... Manchester for all the administrative support throughout the programme. For direct research assistance, I am grateful to Mr. Joseph Chunga and Mr. Grevis Susuwele who ... Jung Yuan, Maxton Tsoka, James Milner, Daniel Appiah, Jeffrey Mwenyeheri and Felix Tandwe. ...
This dissertation analyses the institutional and organisational evolution of state-business relat... more This dissertation analyses the institutional and organisational evolution of state-business relations in Malawi, from the colonial period (1891-1963) to the first decade of multiparty democracy (1994-2004), through the period of one-party authoritarianism (1964-1993). It contributes to three areas of political science.
Firstly, it adds to empirical knowledge on the politics of state formation and state-building by illuminating how institutions governing state-business relations have been central to the evolution, form and character of the Malawian state. It provides some insights for building the capacity of states, especially in southern Africa, to deliver coherent and credible economic policies. Secondly, it demonstrates how the distribution and exercise of power between state and business elites, and the relative financial and political importance of the private business sector to the state, shape the institutional and organisational forms of state-business relations. It shows that these relations are profoundly political rather than technocratic products and reformers need to be more aware of this. Thirdly, it contributes to historical institutionalism by suggesting that the concept of critical junctures should be defined based on people’s expectations for, rather than effects of, institutional change; that history should be emphasised not just for explaining institutional continuities as is done by most historical institutionalists but also institutional discontinuities; and that in explaining existing patterns of institutions researchers need to be concerned more with the most recent predecessor institutions rather than going too far in the past.
The analysis is organised in seven chapters, grouped into three parts. The first part presents the research problem, reviews the literature and outlines the methodological approach. The second part provides empirical narratives of state-business relations in each of the three periods. The third part spells out the implications of the work for the understanding of the politics of Malawian state-business relations, for state-business relations generally and historical institutionalism.
‘The place to look for the obstacles to economic growth are the institutions that protect narrow ... more ‘The place to look for the obstacles to economic growth are the institutions that protect narrow elites at the expense of broad access to opportunities for economic advancement and effective protection of property rights’ (Hoff, 2003:220) ‘In very few African countries have business interest groups become part of the solution to the economic crisis that plagues the continent’ (Bräutigam, Rakner and Taylor, 2002:543) IPPG Discussion Papers available at www.ippg.org.uk
Adopting an historical institutionalist approach, we show that the politics of state-business rel... more Adopting an historical institutionalist approach, we show that the politics of state-business relations (SBRs) in Malawi have been shaped by three historical factors, namely (a) the low level of capitalist development in the country; (b) the dominant influence of the Malawian state and political regime under Dr Banda for the first 30 years of independence; and (c) the manner in which informal institutions of generalized reciprocity, deeply and authentically embedded in Malawian culture and values, have contributed to blurring the distinction between the public and the private. Historically, the post-independence state exercised excessive influence through regulations and restrictions and dominated the business sector itself through statutory corporations and their subsidiaries. The private sector has been viewed by the state with suspicion and mistrust while the private sector has regarded the state as a source of patronage and opportunity. Close links and personal traffic between t...
Since the abortive attempt to scrap off presidential term limits in 2002, the role of traditional... more Since the abortive attempt to scrap off presidential term limits in 2002, the role of traditional leaders in multi-party democracy in Malawi has been on the spotlight. Popular debate has been concerned with whether traditional leadership is compatible with the aspirations associated with the current political dispensation. While there have been numerous calls for traditional leaders to disengage from overt partisan politics, the practice has continued virtually unabated in favour of the party in government. The question regarding how and why chiefs are at the centre of the often confused partisan politicking has not received sufficient scholarly attention to inform institutional reforms necessary for the democracy consolidation project in Malawi. This paper deploys the approach of historical institutionalism and invokes the concept of ‘path dependence’ to attempt an explanation of the mechanisms and political imperatives that undergird the controversial partisan role of traditional ...
... Manchester for all the administrative support throughout the programme. For direct research a... more ... Manchester for all the administrative support throughout the programme. For direct research assistance, I am grateful to Mr. Joseph Chunga and Mr. Grevis Susuwele who ... Jung Yuan, Maxton Tsoka, James Milner, Daniel Appiah, Jeffrey Mwenyeheri and Felix Tandwe. ...
This dissertation analyses the institutional and organisational evolution of state-business relat... more This dissertation analyses the institutional and organisational evolution of state-business relations in Malawi, from the colonial period (1891-1963) to the first decade of multiparty democracy (1994-2004), through the period of one-party authoritarianism (1964-1993). It contributes to three areas of political science.
Firstly, it adds to empirical knowledge on the politics of state formation and state-building by illuminating how institutions governing state-business relations have been central to the evolution, form and character of the Malawian state. It provides some insights for building the capacity of states, especially in southern Africa, to deliver coherent and credible economic policies. Secondly, it demonstrates how the distribution and exercise of power between state and business elites, and the relative financial and political importance of the private business sector to the state, shape the institutional and organisational forms of state-business relations. It shows that these relations are profoundly political rather than technocratic products and reformers need to be more aware of this. Thirdly, it contributes to historical institutionalism by suggesting that the concept of critical junctures should be defined based on people’s expectations for, rather than effects of, institutional change; that history should be emphasised not just for explaining institutional continuities as is done by most historical institutionalists but also institutional discontinuities; and that in explaining existing patterns of institutions researchers need to be concerned more with the most recent predecessor institutions rather than going too far in the past.
The analysis is organised in seven chapters, grouped into three parts. The first part presents the research problem, reviews the literature and outlines the methodological approach. The second part provides empirical narratives of state-business relations in each of the three periods. The third part spells out the implications of the work for the understanding of the politics of Malawian state-business relations, for state-business relations generally and historical institutionalism.
Uploads
Papers by Henry Chingaipe
Firstly, it adds to empirical knowledge on the politics of state formation and state-building by illuminating how institutions governing state-business relations have been central to the evolution, form and character of the Malawian state. It provides some insights for building the capacity of states, especially in southern Africa, to deliver coherent and credible economic policies. Secondly, it demonstrates how the distribution and exercise of power between state and business elites, and the relative financial and political importance of the private business sector to the state, shape the institutional and organisational forms of state-business relations. It shows that these relations are profoundly political rather than technocratic products and reformers need to be more aware of this. Thirdly, it contributes to historical institutionalism by suggesting that the concept of critical junctures should be defined based on people’s expectations for, rather than effects of, institutional change; that history should be emphasised not just for explaining institutional continuities as is done by most historical institutionalists but also institutional discontinuities; and that in explaining existing patterns of institutions researchers need to be concerned more with the most recent predecessor institutions rather than going too far in the past.
The analysis is organised in seven chapters, grouped into three parts. The first part presents the research problem, reviews the literature and outlines the methodological approach. The second part provides empirical narratives of state-business relations in each of the three periods. The third part spells out the implications of the work for the understanding of the politics of Malawian state-business relations, for state-business relations generally and historical institutionalism.
Firstly, it adds to empirical knowledge on the politics of state formation and state-building by illuminating how institutions governing state-business relations have been central to the evolution, form and character of the Malawian state. It provides some insights for building the capacity of states, especially in southern Africa, to deliver coherent and credible economic policies. Secondly, it demonstrates how the distribution and exercise of power between state and business elites, and the relative financial and political importance of the private business sector to the state, shape the institutional and organisational forms of state-business relations. It shows that these relations are profoundly political rather than technocratic products and reformers need to be more aware of this. Thirdly, it contributes to historical institutionalism by suggesting that the concept of critical junctures should be defined based on people’s expectations for, rather than effects of, institutional change; that history should be emphasised not just for explaining institutional continuities as is done by most historical institutionalists but also institutional discontinuities; and that in explaining existing patterns of institutions researchers need to be concerned more with the most recent predecessor institutions rather than going too far in the past.
The analysis is organised in seven chapters, grouped into three parts. The first part presents the research problem, reviews the literature and outlines the methodological approach. The second part provides empirical narratives of state-business relations in each of the three periods. The third part spells out the implications of the work for the understanding of the politics of Malawian state-business relations, for state-business relations generally and historical institutionalism.