Differences in Ethnic Favoritism Across Countries and Over Time: The Case of Africa

Erickosowo Tiku and Kevin Sylwester ()
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Erickosowo Tiku: University of Pittsburgh, U.S.A
Kevin Sylwester: Southern Illinois University, U.S.A

Journal of Economic Development, 2024, vol. 49, issue 2, 21-31

Abstract: Using several rounds of the Afrobarometer surveys, we examine whether a person’s perception of government fairness depends on whether he shares the same ethnicity as the country’s leader. We also compare results based on this subjective measure of unfairness from those that consider whether various public amenities (like a school or clinic) are more likely to be present for those with the same ethnicity as the leader. We find that perceptions of unfair treatment are held more often by those of differing ethnicity as the leader. These findings weaken for democracies but not over time where they may even have intensified during Africa’s slower growth after 2010. Finally, differences across ethnicity in perceptions of unfairness are stronger than differences arising from the presence of amenities.

Keywords: Ethnic Favoritism; sub-Saharan Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J15 J16 O55 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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