Pathways to Development

Sam Hickey is Professor of Politics and Development at the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester. As Research Director of the Effective States and Inclusive Development (ESID) research centre (2011-2020), he worked with many colleagues on the links between politics and development, with particular reference to state capacity, natural resource governance, social protection, education, and gender equity. He is currently Deputy CEO for the African Cities Research Consortium at the University of Manchester and President of the Development Studies Association (2020-2023).Kunal Sen is the Director of UNU-WIDER, and Professor of Development Economics at the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester. He is a leading international expert on the political economy of growth and development. He has performed extensive research on international finance, the political economy determinants of inclusive growth, the dynamics of poverty, social exclusion, female labour force participation, and the informal sector in developing economies. His research has focused on India, East Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. He has been the Joint Research Director of the Effective States and Inclusive Development (ESID) research centre, and a Research Fellow at IZA.

• 1: Pathways to Development: Introduction2: Reconceptualizing the politics of development: the power domains approach3: Political economy puzzles: how do countries grow and how can they avoid the natural resource curse?4: Rights and recognition puzzles: when do elites commit to protecting vulnerable citizens?5: Social provisioning puzzles: how can countries move from providing access to providing high-quality social services?6: The politics of governance and state capacity7: Conclusions and implications

Pathways to Development reveals an insightful response to a critical question: Why do some countries make choices that lead to economic and social development while others fall behind time and again? Challenging current responses emphasizing the role of institutions and democratic governance, Hickey, Sen, and their colleagues demonstrate convincingly that the nature of elite coalitions, and the ideas they embrace, condition development outcomes. In this incisive study of how several African countries have chosen to exploit their natural resources, deliver social services, and build state capacity, these scholars explain how the politics of elite bargains contribute to or diminish development potential.