This paper uses a unique dataset to investigate the effect of the cognitive ability of leading politicians on state capacity. Given the evidence that cognitive ability of leading politicians’ affects state capacity positively, except Africa. For the continent, this relationship between state...

This article aims to highlight the first work of economist Nathan Nunn on slavery and colonization. Indeed, for the latter, these two historical facts, quantifiable consequences, have defined the path of economic development of African countries. Secondly, this paper discusses the findings of...

The paper extends Breggren et al. (2008, EE) on ‘trust and growth: a shaky relationship” by incorporating recent developments in the trust-growth literature and using a robust methodological underpinning that accounts for the presence of outliers. The empirical evidence is based on 63...

This study complements the inclusive growth literature by examining the determinants and consequences of the middle class in a continent where economic growth has been relatively high. The empirical evidence is based on a sample of 33 African countries for a 2010 cross-sectional study. OLS,...

The configuration of the cold war determines institutional quality. Countries pertaining to the block of the West display a negative link with bureaucratic development, lack of corruption, credibility of governments and others. Results are maintained even after controlling for regional and...

This article explores the relationship between the cover of insecticide-treated mosquito net and some indicators of education. The analysis is based on a panel sample of 41 countries of sub-Saharan African over the period 2001-2006. Our results suggest that cover of insecticide-treated mosquito...

In this study, we try to discover the variables susceptible to affect the peace. To arrive there, we made resort to the analysis in cross-sectional. We find that the institutional variables are auspicious to the peace, especially the political stability. The macroeconomic variables are, on the...

To the extent that trust is necessary to conduct informal sector business activities, its absence could possibly constrain entrepreneurial spirit and overall economic growth. This paper tests the hypothesis that differences in trust levels between countries explain the observed differences in...

This article re-examines the relationship alcohol and VIH/Aids, while resorting to another methodological approach that utilized by Fisher et al., (2007) and Kalichman et al. (2007). We confirm a direct relation of alcohol to the AIDS.

Good governance or “government effectiveness” (per the World Bank) is seen as a critical factor for the wealth of nations insofar as it shapes political and economic institutions and affects overall economic performance. The quality of governance, in turn, depends on the attributes of the...