The political determinants of agricultural policy in sub-Saharan Africa

My thesis investigates the political determinants of agricultural policy in sub-Saharan Africa, but my work also has implications for broader questions of development economics and public policy formation. Agricultural producers are vital engines of economic development in this region of the African continent. For this reason, policies that enhance the stability and growth of agricultural production are among the most crucial to development more generally. Yet across much of sub-Saharan Africa, pricing policies often work to disadvantage agricultural production, while governmental spending on agricultural research and development remains low. Even more puzzling is the fact that rural constituents uniformly support incumbent policy makers at higher rates than their urban counterparts, even in the face of policies that are manifestly antithetical to their interests. The answer to this puzzle lies in the importance of collective action to policy creation and change and, in particular, how institutional constraints and other such barriers to collective action shape representation in the agricultural sector. Utilizing both the cross-country and temporal variation in policy environments and outputs, I show that institutional contexts which facilitate collective action are associated with pro-agricultural policies, including lower taxes on agricultural products and higher national-level spending on agricultural R&D. Such contexts -- which include institutional protections for civil liberties and higher levels of electoral competition -- allow marginalized groups such as the rural poor to mobilize more effectively, which in turn result in policies more favorable to their interests. Such policies are further facilitated by sector-specific features and practices which enhance mobilization, typically by decreasing the associated costs of such actions. My findings underscore the importance of the broader political and institutional forms on agricultural policy. That is to say, my analysis demonstrates that prescriptions and suggestions for reforms that are designed to enhance agricultural development should not and cannot be limited to those with agriculture as their sole and central focus.