Corruption in African Countries: A Symptom of Leadership and Institutional Failure

摘要: This paper explores the lingering effects of corruption within context weak or bad governance after African countries gained their independence. Within context, is characterized by dictatorial leadership, non-free media, policy manipulations, and undemocratic elections. Jespersen (1992) observes that economies performed well in early years independence, but they failed performance test thereafter, region now poor living standards, declining agricultural production, stagnating manufacturing, rising imports, rapidly expanding external debts. Additionally, continent notorious for its coups d’etat, civil unrests, ethnic violence, widespread bureaucratic corruption, administrative inefficiency, institutional ineptitude outright failure. Van de Walle (2001) states weakness political institutions explains region’s persistent crisis reform efforts will fail unless regional politics are reformed.