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Journal of African Economies, Volume 7, Number 3, 309-347
© 1998 Centre for the Study of African Economies

research-article

Initial Conditions, Social Capital and Growth in Africa

Jonathan Temple1

Hertford College and Institute of Economics and Statistics Oxford

Observable variables capturing initial conditions can account for well over half of the variation in developing country growth rates. This paper investigates their role in explaining Africa's recent economic history. Should the origins of slow growth be traced to Africa's social arrangements, high inequality and ethnic diversity? Based on cross-country empirical work, this paper argues that the best answers are yes, no and maybe.

1This is a substantially revised version of a paper presented at the 10th Anniversary Conference of the CSAE, Oxford Umversity, 17–18 April 1997. The paper has been greatly improved by the comments of William Easterly, Stephen Redding and two anonymous referees. I am also grateful to Michael Woolcock for discussions on social capital, and to Andrew Warner for supplying data.


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