2007/12/01 by Robert H. Bates, John Coatsworth, Jeffrey G. Williamson · 3 citations
Social Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Culture, Economy, and Development Studies #Global Financial Crisis and Policies #World Systems and Global Transformations #Latin Americans #Independence (probability theory) #Parallels #Politics #Political instability #Development economics #Colonialism #Colonial rule #Economic history #Political science #Geography #History #Economics #Law
paper · doi:10.1017/s0022050707000447
openalex publication_date 2007/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Africa and Latin America secured independence from European colonial rule a century and half apart: most of Latin America by the 1820s and most of Africa by 1960. Despite the distance in time and space, they share important similarities. In each case independence was followed by political instability, violent conflict, and economic stagnation lasting for about a half-century. The parallels suggest that Africa might be exiting from a period of postimperial collapse and entering one of relative political stability and economic growth, as did Latin America almost two centuries ago.