Democratic contestation, organised labour, and pension reform in Ghana and Malawi
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11196660 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yonatan L Morse (0000-0002-4366-5446, Department of Political Science University of Connecticut Storrs Connecticut USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 57 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 855-868 |
| Publication date | 2023-11-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Policy and Administration (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0144-5596 • E-ISSN: 1467-9515 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/spol.12969 |
| OpenAlex | W4387379878 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 27 |
What explains variation in African states' commitment to pensions? This article argues that differences in the structure of contestation and legacies of state‐labour relations matter. When competition is confined to fewer and more stable parties, social welfare appeals gain currency to mobilise swing voters and makes it more likely that pensions will become a subject of political competition. However, legacies of labour accommodation can strengthen certain elements of pension reform, but also reinforce certain policy mindsets such as contributory insurance. These ideas are developed with case studies of Ghana and Malawi. The cases utilise process‐tracing evidence to demonstrate how specific structures of contestation and labour legacies led to divergent pathways of pension reform. The article highlights the significant challenges involved in strengthening pensions in Africa, and therefore the limited potential for a reconstitution of state‐citizen relations based on pension access
Accommodation · Competition (biology · Currency · Democracy · Economics · Labour economics · Market economy · Pension · Political economy · Political science · Politics · State (computer science · Welfare · Welfare state · Aging, Elder Care, and Social Issues · International Development and Aid · Law · Social Policy and Reform Studies
The Politics of Social Protection in Eastern and Southern Africa
Social Welfare
Social Policy Expansion in Latin America
Welfare and Party Politics in Latin America
Age in the Welfare State
Democracy and the Left
The Political Logic of Poverty Relief
Process Tracing
Aging Policies in Ghana
The State and Labour Control in Malawi
Ghana
Ten Years of the Ghana Social Security Scheme
A History of Malawi
Money for Votes
Do new democracies deliver social welfare? Political regimes and health policy in Ghana and Cameroon
Political Parties in Ghana through Four Republics
Welfare Policy Expansion in Botswana and Mauritius
What Drives the Swing Voter in Africa
From Colonialism to International Aid
Regional cleavages in African politics
The Broader Importance of Welfare Reform in South Africa
Ideas, Politics, and Public Policy
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |