Richard Fosu is a doctoral candidate at the Department of Politics and International Relations, Monash University, Melbourne Australia. He is also affiliated to the Monash Gender Peace and Security Centre. His research interests lie in peacebuilding, security and development. His doctoral research investigates local peace processes in Uganda.
This article examines the application of the African Union's norm and sanctions regime on the pro... more This article examines the application of the African Union's norm and sanctions regime on the prohibition of unconstitutional changes of government from 2001 to 2022. It identifies three forms of unconstitutional changes of government: coup d'états and other violent changes of democratically elected government; refusal of an incumbent government to relinquish power after losing an election and constitutional manipulations to win an election or extend the tenure of an incumbent government. The discussions reveal that apart from cases of coup d'états and other violent overthrows of government, the AU has not been consistent with its application of the sanction regime. The article attempts an explanation of why this is so.
When and why do states implement international women’s rights norms? Global Norms and Local Actio... more When and why do states implement international women’s rights norms? Global Norms and Local Action is an examination of states’ responses to violence against women (VAW) in Africa and their implementation of the international women’s justice norm. Despite the presence of laws on various forms of VAW in most African countries, most victims face barriers to accessing justice through the criminal justice system. This problem is particularly acute in post-conflict countries. International organizations such as the United Nations and women’s rights advocates have, therefore, promoted the international women’s justice norm, which emphasizes the establishment of specialized mechanisms within the criminal justice sector to address VAW. With a focus on the response of the police to rape and intimate partner violence in post-conflict Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, this book theorizes the United Nations’ and women’s movements’ influence on the implementation of the international women’s justice no...
The number of studies investigating the effects of inflation targeting (IT) on inflation and macr... more The number of studies investigating the effects of inflation targeting (IT) on inflation and macroeconomic variables has increased with the rising number of countries adopting IT. The empirical evidence has, however, failed to converge. In line with the need for more such studies, this paper uses a difference-in-differences (DID) model with dynamic panel fixed effect and instrumental variable (IV) techniques to estimate the effect of IT on inflation and economic growth for a sample of 40 middle-income countries. Generally, we find that the effects of IT on inflation is quantitatively large but statistically insignificant. We, however, find strong evidence that IT leads to higher growth in middle-income countries.
International Political Economy: Globalization eJournal, 2016
It is incontrovertible that development is and has always been a function of public policy. The n... more It is incontrovertible that development is and has always been a function of public policy. The necessity for states to have enough space, to figure out in organic manner, which policy options work best for them cannot be overemphasized. Using national policy tools effectively and freely to navigate a development path engenders sustainable and progressive development. It is without doubt that the sharp divide between developed and developing countries is partly, if not completely, attributable to the space developed countries had to navigate their path to development. Developing countries today are confronted with enormous challenges in their bid to use domestic policy tools—especially in trade and industrial development—effectively in the midst of a strong international and domestic environment of mass liberalization. These developments have constrained the policy space of most developing countries in their use of policy tools to direct their developments. This paper argues that fo...
South African Journal of International Affairs, 2021
Post-colonial Africa is often represented as a tinderbox of conflictual ethnonational identities.... more Post-colonial Africa is often represented as a tinderbox of conflictual ethnonational identities. Within this reckoning emerges the weak and failed states corpus. Against this background, if an ethno-plural African country builds an effective state with a vibrant democracy, its political development presents an interesting case. This article contends that Ghana’s ‘success’ with state-building is because purposive actors have harnessed citizens’ expectations beyond initial ethnonational imaginings into higher civic expectations. It argues that political agency, conceptualised as intentional acts of (elite) political agents in overcoming the problems of living together in a multi-ethnic society, should go ahead of the institutionalist accounts of Ghana’s state-building success. The analysis demonstrates Ghana’s political agency in two ways. First, it is argued, at independence, political leaders focused on the need to build an (objective) Ghanaian state as a superordinate goal. Second, various actors worked to create a political discourse framing the Ghanaian as ‘peace-loving’.
Applied Economics and Finance Vol. 6, No. 5; September2019, 2019
The number of studies investigating the effects of inflation targeting (IT) on inflation and macr... more The number of studies investigating the effects of inflation targeting (IT) on inflation and macroeconomic variables has increased with the rising number of countries adopting IT. The empirical evidence has, however, failed to converge. In line with the need for more such studies, this paper uses a difference in differences (DID) model with dynamic panel fixed effect and instrumental variable (IV) techniques to estimate the effect of IT on inflation and economic growth for a sample of 40 middle-income countries. Generally, we find that the effects of IT on inflation is quantitatively large but statistically insignificant. We, however, find strong evidence that IT leads to higher growth in middle-income countries.
It is incontrovertible that development is and has always been a function of public policy. The ... more It is incontrovertible that development is and has always been a function of public policy. The necessity for states to have enough space, to figure out in organic manner, which policy options work best for them, cannot be overemphasized. Using national policy tools effectively and freely to navigate a development path engenders sustainable and progressive development. It is without doubt that the sharp divide between developed and developing countries is partly, if not completely, attributable to the space developed countries had to navigate their path to development. Developing countries today are confronted with enormous challenges in their bid to use domestic policy tools—especially in trade and industrial development—effectively in the midst of a strong international and domestic environment of mass liberalization. These developments have constrained the policy space of most developing countries in their use of policy tools to direct their developments. This paper argues that for developing countries to amass adequate capabilities in science, technology and innovations (STI), they require adequate policy space through the use of policy tools such as subsidies, tax and non-tax measures to accentuate their progress. As a matter of fact, developing countries can see meaningful progress in capacity accumulation in technology for development, if they have the unrestrained opportunity to choose the best mix of policy options to drive the sectors of their economies that constitute the nucleus of growth. In this regard, 'business as usual' outward policies do not work at least in the interim. The paper dwells on the experiences of India in the software and pharmaceutical industries to argue for the need for policy space in technology evolution. " The technological, environmental and regional distortions plaguing today's global economy demand customized, imaginative and adaptive solutions. This can only be achieved if local innovation systems can be preserved and expanded. Informed and responsible government policies are needed to enhance three pillars of sustainable development: social, economic and environmental " (Ayala &Gallagher, 2005). " Abstract It is incontrovertible that development is and has always been a function of public policy. The necessity for states to have enough space, to figure out in organic manner, which policy options work best for them, cannot be overemphasized. Using national policy tools effectively and freely to navigate a development path engenders sustainable and progressive development. It is without doubt that the sharp divide between developed and developing countries is partly, if not completely, attributable to the space developed countries had to navigate their path to development. Developing countries today are confronted with enormous challenges in their bid to use domestic policy tools—especially in trade and industrial development—effectively in the midst of a strong international and domestic environment of mass liberalization. These developments have constrained the policy space of most developing countries in their use of policy tools to direct their developments. This paper argues that for developing countries to amass adequate capabilities in science, technology and innovations (STI), they require adequate policy space through the use of policy tools such as subsidies, tax and non-tax measures to accentuate their progress. As a matter of fact, developing countries can see meaningful progress in capacity accumulation in technology for development, if they have the unrestrained opportunity to choose the best mix of policy options to drive the sectors of their economies that constitute the nucleus of growth. In this regard, 'business as usual' outward policies do not work at least in the interim. The paper dwells on the experiences of India in the software and pharmaceutical industries to argue for the need for policy space in technology evolution.
This article examines the application of the African Union's norm and sanctions regime on the pro... more This article examines the application of the African Union's norm and sanctions regime on the prohibition of unconstitutional changes of government from 2001 to 2022. It identifies three forms of unconstitutional changes of government: coup d'états and other violent changes of democratically elected government; refusal of an incumbent government to relinquish power after losing an election and constitutional manipulations to win an election or extend the tenure of an incumbent government. The discussions reveal that apart from cases of coup d'états and other violent overthrows of government, the AU has not been consistent with its application of the sanction regime. The article attempts an explanation of why this is so.
When and why do states implement international women’s rights norms? Global Norms and Local Actio... more When and why do states implement international women’s rights norms? Global Norms and Local Action is an examination of states’ responses to violence against women (VAW) in Africa and their implementation of the international women’s justice norm. Despite the presence of laws on various forms of VAW in most African countries, most victims face barriers to accessing justice through the criminal justice system. This problem is particularly acute in post-conflict countries. International organizations such as the United Nations and women’s rights advocates have, therefore, promoted the international women’s justice norm, which emphasizes the establishment of specialized mechanisms within the criminal justice sector to address VAW. With a focus on the response of the police to rape and intimate partner violence in post-conflict Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, this book theorizes the United Nations’ and women’s movements’ influence on the implementation of the international women’s justice no...
The number of studies investigating the effects of inflation targeting (IT) on inflation and macr... more The number of studies investigating the effects of inflation targeting (IT) on inflation and macroeconomic variables has increased with the rising number of countries adopting IT. The empirical evidence has, however, failed to converge. In line with the need for more such studies, this paper uses a difference-in-differences (DID) model with dynamic panel fixed effect and instrumental variable (IV) techniques to estimate the effect of IT on inflation and economic growth for a sample of 40 middle-income countries. Generally, we find that the effects of IT on inflation is quantitatively large but statistically insignificant. We, however, find strong evidence that IT leads to higher growth in middle-income countries.
International Political Economy: Globalization eJournal, 2016
It is incontrovertible that development is and has always been a function of public policy. The n... more It is incontrovertible that development is and has always been a function of public policy. The necessity for states to have enough space, to figure out in organic manner, which policy options work best for them cannot be overemphasized. Using national policy tools effectively and freely to navigate a development path engenders sustainable and progressive development. It is without doubt that the sharp divide between developed and developing countries is partly, if not completely, attributable to the space developed countries had to navigate their path to development. Developing countries today are confronted with enormous challenges in their bid to use domestic policy tools—especially in trade and industrial development—effectively in the midst of a strong international and domestic environment of mass liberalization. These developments have constrained the policy space of most developing countries in their use of policy tools to direct their developments. This paper argues that fo...
South African Journal of International Affairs, 2021
Post-colonial Africa is often represented as a tinderbox of conflictual ethnonational identities.... more Post-colonial Africa is often represented as a tinderbox of conflictual ethnonational identities. Within this reckoning emerges the weak and failed states corpus. Against this background, if an ethno-plural African country builds an effective state with a vibrant democracy, its political development presents an interesting case. This article contends that Ghana’s ‘success’ with state-building is because purposive actors have harnessed citizens’ expectations beyond initial ethnonational imaginings into higher civic expectations. It argues that political agency, conceptualised as intentional acts of (elite) political agents in overcoming the problems of living together in a multi-ethnic society, should go ahead of the institutionalist accounts of Ghana’s state-building success. The analysis demonstrates Ghana’s political agency in two ways. First, it is argued, at independence, political leaders focused on the need to build an (objective) Ghanaian state as a superordinate goal. Second, various actors worked to create a political discourse framing the Ghanaian as ‘peace-loving’.
Applied Economics and Finance Vol. 6, No. 5; September2019, 2019
The number of studies investigating the effects of inflation targeting (IT) on inflation and macr... more The number of studies investigating the effects of inflation targeting (IT) on inflation and macroeconomic variables has increased with the rising number of countries adopting IT. The empirical evidence has, however, failed to converge. In line with the need for more such studies, this paper uses a difference in differences (DID) model with dynamic panel fixed effect and instrumental variable (IV) techniques to estimate the effect of IT on inflation and economic growth for a sample of 40 middle-income countries. Generally, we find that the effects of IT on inflation is quantitatively large but statistically insignificant. We, however, find strong evidence that IT leads to higher growth in middle-income countries.
It is incontrovertible that development is and has always been a function of public policy. The ... more It is incontrovertible that development is and has always been a function of public policy. The necessity for states to have enough space, to figure out in organic manner, which policy options work best for them, cannot be overemphasized. Using national policy tools effectively and freely to navigate a development path engenders sustainable and progressive development. It is without doubt that the sharp divide between developed and developing countries is partly, if not completely, attributable to the space developed countries had to navigate their path to development. Developing countries today are confronted with enormous challenges in their bid to use domestic policy tools—especially in trade and industrial development—effectively in the midst of a strong international and domestic environment of mass liberalization. These developments have constrained the policy space of most developing countries in their use of policy tools to direct their developments. This paper argues that for developing countries to amass adequate capabilities in science, technology and innovations (STI), they require adequate policy space through the use of policy tools such as subsidies, tax and non-tax measures to accentuate their progress. As a matter of fact, developing countries can see meaningful progress in capacity accumulation in technology for development, if they have the unrestrained opportunity to choose the best mix of policy options to drive the sectors of their economies that constitute the nucleus of growth. In this regard, 'business as usual' outward policies do not work at least in the interim. The paper dwells on the experiences of India in the software and pharmaceutical industries to argue for the need for policy space in technology evolution. " The technological, environmental and regional distortions plaguing today's global economy demand customized, imaginative and adaptive solutions. This can only be achieved if local innovation systems can be preserved and expanded. Informed and responsible government policies are needed to enhance three pillars of sustainable development: social, economic and environmental " (Ayala &Gallagher, 2005). " Abstract It is incontrovertible that development is and has always been a function of public policy. The necessity for states to have enough space, to figure out in organic manner, which policy options work best for them, cannot be overemphasized. Using national policy tools effectively and freely to navigate a development path engenders sustainable and progressive development. It is without doubt that the sharp divide between developed and developing countries is partly, if not completely, attributable to the space developed countries had to navigate their path to development. Developing countries today are confronted with enormous challenges in their bid to use domestic policy tools—especially in trade and industrial development—effectively in the midst of a strong international and domestic environment of mass liberalization. These developments have constrained the policy space of most developing countries in their use of policy tools to direct their developments. This paper argues that for developing countries to amass adequate capabilities in science, technology and innovations (STI), they require adequate policy space through the use of policy tools such as subsidies, tax and non-tax measures to accentuate their progress. As a matter of fact, developing countries can see meaningful progress in capacity accumulation in technology for development, if they have the unrestrained opportunity to choose the best mix of policy options to drive the sectors of their economies that constitute the nucleus of growth. In this regard, 'business as usual' outward policies do not work at least in the interim. The paper dwells on the experiences of India in the software and pharmaceutical industries to argue for the need for policy space in technology evolution.
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Papers by Richard FOSU
fixed effect and instrumental variable (IV) techniques to estimate the effect of IT on inflation and economic growth for a sample of 40 middle-income countries. Generally, we find that the effects of IT on inflation is quantitatively large but statistically insignificant. We, however, find strong evidence that IT leads to higher growth in middle-income countries.
fixed effect and instrumental variable (IV) techniques to estimate the effect of IT on inflation and economic growth for a sample of 40 middle-income countries. Generally, we find that the effects of IT on inflation is quantitatively large but statistically insignificant. We, however, find strong evidence that IT leads to higher growth in middle-income countries.