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Finance and democracy in Africa

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  • Simplice A, Asongu

Abstract

The motivations of the Arab Spring and hitherto unanswered questions about some of its dynamics inspired this paper, which focuses on how democracy, polity and autocracy affect financial development dynamics of depth, efficiency, activity and size in Africa; contingent on religious-domination, income-levels and colonial-legacies. Findings could be summarized in the following. (1) Authoritarian regimes have a higher propensity to effect policies that favor the development of financial intermediary depth, activity and size. Democracy has important effects on the degree of competition for public offices but less significant effects in comparison with autocracy on policies towards financial development. (2) Christian-dominated countries have higher (lower) levels of financial intermediation efficiency (depth) than-Islam oriented countries. (3) Income-levels also matter in financial development as poor countries have a lower propensity to improve their financial dynamics than wealthy states. (4) On average English common-law countries have better democratic institutions that their French civil-law counterparts. (5) There is evidence of a U-shape relationship between national wealth and the level of democracy, with Low-income countries experiencing lower (higher) levels of democracy than Upper (Lower) middle income countries. As a policy implication, once democracy is initiated, it should be accelerated (to edge the appeals of authoritarian regimes) and reap the benefits of level and time hypotheses in financial development.

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  • Simplice A, Asongu, 2011. "Finance and democracy in Africa," MPRA Paper 35500, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:35500
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    Cited by:

    1. Asongu, Simplice & Odhiambo, Nicholas, 2022. "The paradox of governance and natural resource rents in Sub-Saharan Africa," MPRA Paper 119066, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Simplice Asongu, 2014. "Are proposed African monetary unions optimal currency areas? Real, monetary and fiscal policy convergence analysis," African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(1), pages 9-29, April.
    3. Asongu Simplice, 2014. "Fighting African corruption when existing corruption-control levels matter in a dynamic cultural setting," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 41(10), pages 906-922, October.
    4. Asongu, Simplice & Nnanna, Joseph, 2020. "Governance and the Capital Flight Trap in Africa," MPRA Paper 103226, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Simplice A. Asongu & Jules R. Minkoua N., 2018. "Dynamic openness and finance in Africa," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(4), pages 409-430, May.
    6. Simplice A. Asongu, 2013. "Real and monetary policy convergence: EMU crisis to the CFA zone," Journal of Financial Economic Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(1), pages 20-38, April.
    7. Simplice A. Asongu, 2013. "How has Mobile Phone Penetration Stimulated Financial Development in Africa?," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(1), pages 7-18, April.
    8. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2019. "Enhancing Governance for Environmental Sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 19/090, African Governance and Development Institute..
    9. Simplice A. Asongu & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2024. "Governance quality and trade performance in Sub‐Saharan Africa," World Affairs, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 187(1), pages 78-93, March.
    10. Nchofoung, Tii & Asongu, Simplice & Tchamyou, Vanessa & Edoh, Ofeh, 2021. "Political inclusion and democracy in Africa: some empirical evidence," MPRA Paper 111838, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Olufemi Adewale Aluko & Oladapo Fapetu & Julius Oyebanji Ibitoye, 2021. "Do Openness and Democracy Deepen Banking Sector in Sub-Saharan Africa?," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 22(2), pages 279-289, April.
    12. Asongu Simplice, 2012. "Linkages between Investment Flows and Financial Development: Causality Evidence from Selected African Countries," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 12/029, African Governance and Development Institute..
    13. Simplice A. Asongu & Thales P. Yapatake Kossele & Joseph Nnanna, 2021. "Not all that glitters is gold: political stability and trade in Sub-Saharan Africa," Research Africa Network Working Papers 21/005, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    14. Simplice A Asongu, 2013. "How has politico-economic liberalization affected financial allocation efficiency? Fresh African evidence," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 33(1), pages 663-676.
    15. Tii N. Nchofoung & Simplice A. Asongu & Vanessa S. Tchamyou & Ofeh M. Edoh, 2022. "Gender political inclusion and democracy in Africa: some empirical evidence," Working Papers of The Association for Promoting Women in Research and Development in Africa (ASPROWORDA). 22/011, The Association for Promoting Women in Research and Development in Africa (ASPROWORDA).
    16. Asongu Simplice, 2012. "How has Mobile Banking Stimulated Financial Development in Africa?," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 12/027, African Governance and Development Institute..
    17. Simplice A, Asongu, 2012. "Politics and Consumer Prices in Africa," MPRA Paper 36174, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Asongu Simplice, 2012. "Are financial benefits of financial globalization questionable until greater domestic financial development has taken place?," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 12/007, African Governance and Development Institute..
    19. Simplice A. Asongu, 2014. "African financial development dynamics: big time convergence," African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(2), pages 160-194, July.
    20. Simplice A. Asongu & Cheikh T. Ndour & Judith C. M. Ngoungou, 2023. "The effects of gender political inclusion and democracy on environmental performance: evidence from the method of moments by quantile regression," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 23/060, African Governance and Development Institute..
    21. Asongu Simplice, 2012. "Are Proposed African Monetary Unions Optimal Currency Areas? Real and Monetary Policy Convergence Analysis," Working Papers of the African Governance and Development Institute. 12/005, African Governance and Development Institute..
    22. Arayssi, Mahmoud & Fakih, Ali, 2017. "Finance–growth nexus in a changing political region: How important was the Arab Spring?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 106-123.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Banking; Finance; Politics; Democracy; Development;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O10 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - General
    • E50 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - General
    • E40 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - General
    • P16 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Capitalist Economies - - - Capitalist Institutions; Welfare State
    • P50 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems - - - General

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