How trade deals explain the behaviour of West African elites

The political survival of ruling elites is one of the major determining factors behind their trade policy choices. But trade policy choices can determine whether a country’s economy diversifies to reduce dependence on the production of a few goods or services. This phenomenon is most pronounced in countries whose economies are heavily dependent on a few commodity exports.

To understand this phenomenon better, I have looked at the behaviour of ruling elites in West Africa since the early…

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