Mobile Phones

Uplifting Weak and Failed States

Bibliographic Data

ID11270809
AuthorsRobert I Rotberg (Schlumberger (Ireland), corresponding author), Jenny C Aker
Year2013
Volume36
Issue1
Pages111-125
Publication date2013-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe Washington Quarterly (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0163-660X • E-ISSN: 1530-9177
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/0163660x.2013.751651
OpenAlexW2069087918
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited1

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Notes 1. For numbers and abundant data, see Jenny C. Aker and Isaac M. Mbiti “Mobile Phones and Economic Development in Africa,” Journal of Economic Perspectives 24, no. 3 (2010): 207–232, http://sites.tufts.edu/jennyaker/files/2010/09/aker_mobileafrica.pdf; Robert I. Rotberg, “Harnessing Mobile Telephonic Capabilities,” in Africa Emerges: Consummate Challenges, Abundant Opportunities (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2013, forthcoming); data also heavily drawn from an unpublished paper by Jenny C. Aker and Robert I. Rotberg, “Harnessing Mobile Telephone Capabilities for Positive Social Change in Weak and Failed States,” May 2012; (Research support generously provided by Google Ideas, with particular gratitude toward Brendan Ballou and Yasmin Dolatabadi). 2. “Nigeria's Phase3 Telecom to Boost Fiber Optics in West Africa,” BikyaMasr, February 23, 2012, www.bikyamasr.com/58298/; Samantha Spooner, “The Freedom on the Net, 2011,” Africa Review, February 23, 2012, http://www.africareview.com/Special+Reports/The+freedom+on+the+Net+2011/-/979182/1333304/-/a49s95z/-/index.html; Sanja Kelly, Sarah Cook, and Mai Truong, eds., Freedom on the Net 2012: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media, (Washington, DC: Freedom House, September 24, 2012), http://www.freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/FOTN%202012%20FINAL.pdf; Raul L. Katz and Pantelis Koutroumpis, “Measuring Socio-Economic Digitization: A Paradigm Shift” (working paper presented at TPRC 2012), Social Science Research Network, May 30, 2012, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2031531; N. Czernich, O. Falck, T. Kretschmer, and L.Woessman, “Broadband Infrastructure and Economic Growth,” Economic Journal, 121, Issue 552 (2011): 505–532, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1840209; www.africa.slow: The Last Continent Without Fast, Easy and Cheap Internet Access,” Economist, August 27, 2011, http://www.economist.com/node/21526937. 3. “Nigeria's Phase3 Telecom to Boost Fiber Optics in West Africa,” BikyaMasr, February 23, 2012, www.bikyamasr.com/58298/; Samantha Spooner, “The Freedom on the Net, 2011,” Africa Review, February 23, 2012, http://www.africareview.com/Special+Reports/The+freedom+on+the+Net+2011/-/979182/1333304/-/a49s95z/-/index.html; Sanja Kelly, Sarah Cook, and Mai Truong, eds., Freedom on the Net 2012: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media, (Washington, DC: Freedom House, September 24, 2012), http://www.freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/FOTN%202012%20FINAL.pdf; Raul L. Katz and Pantelis Koutroumpis, “Measuring Socio-Economic Digitization: A Paradigm Shift” (working paper presented at TPRC 2012), Social Science Research Network, May 30, 2012, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2031531; N. Czernich, O. Falck, T. Kretschmer, and L.Woessman, “Broadband Infrastructure and Economic Growth,” Economic Journal, 121, Issue 552 (2011): 505–532, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1840209; www.africa.slow: The Last Continent Without Fast, Easy and Cheap Internet Access,” Economist, August 27, 2011, http://www.economist.com/node/21526937. 4. “Nigeria's Phase3 Telecom to Boost Fiber Optics in West Africa,” BikyaMasr, February 23, 2012, www.bikyamasr.com/58298/; Samantha Spooner, “The Freedom on the Net, 2011,” Africa Review, February 23, 2012, http://www.africareview.com/Special+Reports/The+freedom+on+the+Net+2011/-/979182/1333304/-/a49s95z/-/index.html; Sanja Kelly, Sarah Cook, and Mai Truong, eds., Freedom on the Net 2012: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media, (Washington, DC: Freedom House, September 24, 2012), http://www.freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/FOTN%202012%20FINAL.pdf; Raul L. Katz and Pantelis Koutroumpis, “Measuring Socio-Economic Digitization: A Paradigm Shift” (working paper presented at TPRC 2012), Social Science Research Network, May 30, 2012, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2031531; N. Czernich, O. Falck, T. Kretschmer, and L.Woessman, “Broadband Infrastructure and Economic Growth,” Economic Journal, 121, Issue 552 (2011): 505–532, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1840209; www.africa.slow: The Last Continent Without Fast, Easy and Cheap Internet Access,” Economist, August 27, 2011, http://www.economist.com/node/21526937. 5. See Robert I. Rotberg, “The Failure and Collapse of Nation-States: Breakdown, Prevention, and Repair” in When States Fail: Causes and Consequences, ed. Rotberg (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2004), 1–45. 6. “iCow,” Afriapps, http://www.afriapps.com/app/icow. 7. Jenny C. Aker, Christopher Ksoll, and Travis J. Lybbert,“Can Mobile Phones Improve Learning? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Niger.”American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 4, no. 4 (October 2012): 94–120, https://www.aeaweb.org/articles.php?doi=10.1257/app.4.4.94. 8. Ben Elers, quoted in Stephanie Strom, “Web Sites Shine Light on Petty Bribery Worldwide,” New York Times, March 8, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/business/web-sites-shine-light-on-petty-bribery-worldwide.html?pagewanted=all. 9. Kingsley Ighobor, “Social Media for a Social Cause,” AfricaRenewal, December 2011, http://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/december-2011/social-media-social-cause. 10. “The Civil War in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” AfricaResource, May 30, 2007, http://www.africaresource.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=306:the-civil-war-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo&catid=36:essays-a-discussions&Itemid=346; Heather Murdock, “Rapes, Retribution in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” Voice of America News, November 23, 2011, http://www.voanews.com/content/rapes-retribution-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo-134407438/148631.html; Death toll numbers vary depending on source, but for the highest figure, see Laura Heaton, “Congo: a Death Toll Rivaling the Holocaust,” Enough Project, February 11, 2010, http://www.enoughproject.org/blogs/congo-death-toll-rivaling-holocaust. 11. Robert I. Rotberg, “Mugabe Uber Alles: The Tyranny of Unity in Zimbabwe,” Foreign Affairs (July/August 2010), http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/66471/robert-i-rotberg/mugabe-ueber-alles. 12. “How to Save Votes,” Economist, February 28, 2012, http://www.economist.com/blogs/baobab/2012/02/african-elections. 13. “Health Statistics>Physicians>per 1000 people (most recent) by Country,” NationMaster.com, “Physicians per 1000 People (Most Recent) By Country,” http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_phy_per_1000_peo-physicians-per-1-000-people; Robert I. Rotberg and Rachel M. Gisselquist, Strengthening African Governance: Index of African Governance, Results and Indicators (Cambridge, MA: Harvard Kennedy School, 2009), 267, http://www.nber.org/iag/iag2009.pdf. 14. See Peter Wayner, “Monitoring Your Health with Mobile Devices,” New York Times, February 22, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/technology/personaltech/monitoring-your-health-with-mobile-devices.html; Eric Topol, quoted in “Now for Some Good News: Two Books that Argue the Future is Brighter than We Think,” Economist, March 3, 2012, http://www.economist.com/node/21548937. Additional informationNotes on contributorsRobert I. RotbergRobert I. Rotberg is this autumn the Fulbright Research Chair in Political Development at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University (Ottawa, Canada). He is also the Founding Director of Harvard Kennedy School's Program on Intrastate Conflict and President Emeritus of the World Peace Foundation. His latest book is Transformative Political Leadership: Making a Difference in the Developing World (Chicago, 2012)Jenny C. AkerJenny C. Aker is Assistant Professor of Development Economics, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and the Department of Economics, Tufts University

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