Sustaining economic reform under political liberalization in Africa: Issues and implications

Abstract

Structural adjustment programs in sub-Saharan Africa have resulted in only partial economic successes, but have played a significant role in facilitating political liberalization. Economic reforms can be deepened however, if policies which sustain economic and political reform efforts are more explicitly linked. The gains to be reaped from economic reforms will only be fully realized in conjunction with improvements in governance and expansion of democratic representation. In particular, there are four key dimensions for facilitating the sustainability of economic reform in the context of political liberalization in sub-Saharan Africa: changing government behavior and strengthening government capacity; enhancing the political capacity for effective policy implementation; nurturing civil society and increasing nongovernment organization (NGO) participation; and fostering the necessary institutional foundations for markets.