In this chapter, we discuss whether or not governance is an important source of variation in development experiences. We draw four main conclusions. First, governance is best thought of a subset of institutions and as such emphasis on governance is consistent with much recent academic work....

I argue that the economic success of Botswana can be explained by the historical development of its institutions which is related to the trajectory of the Tswana states over the past 200 years. These institutions created a much more stable and accountable government than elsewhere in Africa...

I argue that whether or not a state is predatory hinges on the relationship between development and the distribution of political power in society. Development is typically inconsistent with the preservation of the political status quo and this gives those who initially hold political power an...