African states are not, in any real sense, capitalist states. Elsewhere,
the state has played a crucial role in facilitating capitalist
expansion, but in postcolonial Africa one finds a form of
neopatrimonialism - personal rule - that introduces a variety of
economic irrationalities. Productive economic activities are impeded by
the political instability, systemic corruption and maladminstration
associated with personal rule. In extreme cases, a downward spiral of
political-economic decline is set in motion that is difficult to halt
and reverse. Is personal rule simply a euphemism for ineptitude and
mismanagement? The authors argue that it is not; it operates according
to a particular political rationality that shapes a ruler's actions
when, in the absence of legitimate authority, he is confronted with the
challenge of governing an unintegrated peasant society.
Neopatrimonialism is essentially an adaptation of colonial-inspired
political institutions to peculiar historical and social conditions.
This book focuses on the political factor as an important cause of
Africa's economic ills. It analyses the social conditions impelling
political adaptation and the consequences of personal rule for economic
life, and surveys creative responses to the predicament African people
now face.