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Accepted Paper:
The Politics of Africa's Urban Industrialization: Authoritarian Centralization and Policy Integration
Selam Robi
(University of Manchester)
Paper short abstract:
This paper introduces the concept of 'authoritarian centralization' to bring together theorizing on authoritarianism with that on the politics of policy integration, so as to analyse the politics behind the lack of integration between Industrial and urban development and planning in Africa.
Paper long abstract:
A growing body of literature address the implications of the ongoing rapid state-led and export-oriented industrialization in African cities for a range of development concerns. E.g., labour relations, value chain development, and China's involvement in infrastructural development. This study focuses on another vital implication of Africa's rapid industrialization - urban industrial integration- that has not been sufficiently explored. The niche body of work that does look at the interaction of urban and industrial development identifies challenges that are emerging at the nexus and attributes these challenges to a lack of policy integration. However, this literature does not address why the disconnect between the policy spheres arises or why it continues to persist.
I argue policy fragmentation in the African urban industrial nexus is driven by processes of 'authoritarian centralization' that fosters adverse political conditions for policy integration- more specifically conceptual integration, policy coordination and infrastructural integration. Based on an interpretive policy analysis of the case of the Ethiopia's Industrial Development Policy (2001-2020) and its implementation, the study illustrates the relationship between authoritarian centralization and policy integration and discusses the ways in which authoritarianism has shaped urban policy, planning and development and its integration into industrial and economic development strategies. The death of PM Meles Zenawi is identified as a critical juncture that illuminates broader issues of the nature of authoritarian rule under EPRDF and the politics of policy integration in ethno-federal party state. The paper contributes to the literature on the politics of urban industrialization in a broader range of developmental authoritarian African states.
Click the star to add/remove an item to/from your individual schedule.
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Accepted Paper:
Paper short abstract:
Paper long abstract:
A growing body of literature address the implications of the ongoing rapid state-led and export-oriented industrialization in African cities for a range of development concerns. E.g., labour relations, value chain development, and China's involvement in infrastructural development. This study focuses on another vital implication of Africa's rapid industrialization - urban industrial integration- that has not been sufficiently explored. The niche body of work that does look at the interaction of urban and industrial development identifies challenges that are emerging at the nexus and attributes these challenges to a lack of policy integration. However, this literature does not address why the disconnect between the policy spheres arises or why it continues to persist.
I argue policy fragmentation in the African urban industrial nexus is driven by processes of 'authoritarian centralization' that fosters adverse political conditions for policy integration- more specifically conceptual integration, policy coordination and infrastructural integration. Based on an interpretive policy analysis of the case of the Ethiopia's Industrial Development Policy (2001-2020) and its implementation, the study illustrates the relationship between authoritarian centralization and policy integration and discusses the ways in which authoritarianism has shaped urban policy, planning and development and its integration into industrial and economic development strategies. The death of PM Meles Zenawi is identified as a critical juncture that illuminates broader issues of the nature of authoritarian rule under EPRDF and the politics of policy integration in ethno-federal party state. The paper contributes to the literature on the politics of urban industrialization in a broader range of developmental authoritarian African states.
The Politics of Economic Transformation: Finance and Industrial Policy I
Session 1 Wednesday 6 July, 2022, -