Why Botswana Prospered

While most of Africa has been described as a political and economic disaster zone, Botswana stands out as a democracy that has achieved rapid economic growth for more than three decades. Clark Leith traces the evolution of Botswana’s economic policies and democratic political systems and the forces that have shaped them since the country achieved independence in 1966. Leith shows that other African nations endowed with resources failed to stimulate growth but Botswana prospered because of a democratic political system and economic interests that were anchored in tradition, tempered by leadership, and shaped by growing institutions.