3.  Consensus-driven explanation of poor African governance
 Politically-focused, historically-based theory
 The power (and “right”) of rule is given to individuals instead
of offices
 Even with formal legal codes and constitutions
 Loyalty and power > accountability and transparency
 Observed in extremely high incidences in African nations
 Empirical Results
 Political instability, strong military use, poor service administration
  high inequality, reduced economic growth, controlled freedoms
  vicious cycle of poor governance
 Overly general theory
 Used to explain poor economic performance in addition to
ineffective governance

5.  Paul Collier: “perverse governmental performance”
 Endogenously-based policies and politics have hampered
Africa’s post-colonial development
 “Neo-patrimonialism plus”
 Effects of poor governance
 Civil war/insurrection/coups ($64B each)
 Natural resource dependence/curse
 Stifles real economic development/sunk assets
 Geography makes a difference

7.  Landlocked sub-Saharan country
 1.8 million people in Texas/France-sized landmass
 1966: GDP/cap of $70 2008: GDP/cap of $5600
 Dramatic rise from extremely poor to middle-income
 Annual growth rate of 9% per year, among the world’s
highest
 Driven by the diamond trade, $2.9B/year
 Still large (40%) but declining share of GDP
 Government-controlled extraction (with DeBeers)
 Freest economy in Africa (Heritage Foundation)
 Very competitive economy (World Bank)
 “A” credit rating from Standard & Poor
 Low debt-service load (4%), stringent monetary policy
 The “Swiss Franc” of Africa

11.  European Union Common Trade Agreement

12.  Progressive constitution, free and fair elections
 “Usual suspects:” property rights, political debate, and
the balance of power through strong political and
economic organization
 De-facto one party rule by the Botswana Democratic
Party
 36th on the 2009 Transparency International
Corruption Perceptions Index
 In the same range as France and Portugal
 3rd for governance quality on the 2008 Ibrahim Index
of African Governance

17. EVALUATIVE META-FRAMEWORK
Historical Legacy Political Stability and Freedom
•Inherited Political Systems and •Free and Fair Elections
Legal Codes •Rule of Law and Human Rights
•Cultural Structure and Social •Corruption and Safety
Composition
•Geographic Location and Natural
Resources
Policy Formation and Citizen Interaction and
Implementation Participation
•Regulatory Quality •Participation and Voice
•Government Programmatic •Accountability and Transparency
Effectiveness •Human Development
•Sustainable Economic
Development

18. Historical Legacy Political Stability and Freedom
•Tribal Cohesion •Anti-Corruption Policies
•Defensive Modernization •Strong Constitutional Rights
•Early State Formation
Policy Formation and Citizen Interaction and
Implementation Participation
•Long-term strategic planning •Performance Measurement and
•Decentralized Management and Accountability
Governance •Civil Society Supports
•Natural Resource Management •Major Investments in Health and
Regimes Education
•Technocratic Democratic
Bureaucracy

20.  1890—British protectorate over the Tswana tribe and
Bechuanaland
 Initially planned to be part of South Africa and Rhodesia
 Successfully resisted attempts at colonization through adept
modernization and diplomacy
 Agricultural and mineral development initiatives
 Bourgeois, community-based, market-focused leadership
 Role of the kglota in stimulating democratic norms
 Early adoption of Western ideals around religion, education,
and social progress
 Negotiated with British for autonomy and freedom
 Fought off human exportation and slavery
 Unity policies preserved national spirit and cultural self-identity
 “Exceptional Leadership” Seretse Khama, first president

21.  Major decentralization
thrust after
independence
 Policy planning and
administration go to local
units
 Intended Goals
 Equalize the distribution of
economic and social
resources among citizens,
 Enhance local governance
capacity
 Improve accountability
and participation in
governance

22.  Decentralization helped government absorb
major demographic changes
 68% of population under 30
 Regulated elite control and urban/rural bias
 Increased popular participation, transparency,
and accountability
 Still issues with financial autonomy

23.  Zero-tolerance policy for corruption
 Little evidence of largess
 Sound management of natural resources
 Strong development of institutions
 Governmental culture and norms
 Exceptionalleadership
 Tswana-based obligation to “do things”
 Merit-based civil service system
 Presidential Inquiry Panels
 International anti-corruption assistance

24.  Biggest area of problem and promise in Botswana
 20% of government spending goes into education
 81% enrollment rate, free, equal education through tertiary
 Surplus of workers, feel entitled to jobs
 Still shortage of tertiary-educated, high skills workers
 20% unemployment, 40% below poverty line
 Should not overshadow tremendous movement out of
progress for most of the country (66% above)
 Major HIV/AIDS problem, 23.9% prevalence
 Tanked country’s HDI ranking (72 in 1990, 126 in 2008)
 Life expectancy has slipped from 56 to 40 in 10 years
 131,000 AIDS-related orphans in the country
 First nation to provide free ARV/universal treatment policy
 Implications for good governance regime

26.  Clarifying the purpose of “good governance.”
 Prioritizing governance reforms for poverty
reduction.
 Matching governance for the times.
 Looking over time, not just regions.
 Adjusting for normal expectations.
Mostly about the good governance pedagogy, and
applying Botswana’s lessons to improving theory