Mushtaq Kahn on complex patron-client networks and corruption

Aid Thoughts delves into the work of Mushtaq Kahn who recently participated in debate with Daniel Kaufmann on the issue of corruption.Mushtaq asserts that:

Much of Sub-Saharan Africa is characterised by complex patron-client networks, in which a number of groups vie for the patronage of a Government with a weak power base vis-à-vis these groups. The Government cannot cut the corrupt relationships that exist between them and any of these groups in order to aid economic transformation, as the spurned group frequently has the political power to successfully challenge the Government. This contrasts sharply to patterns prevalent in most currently developed countries at the time of their transition to capitalism.