Ross Harvey

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Articles

In defence of economics Nobel laureates

Jan 13, 2025 | gga.org | Ross Harvey

Nobel prizes in Economics are controversial affairs, understandably. Providing parsimonious answers to difficult development questions is a tough ask, and those who take it on open themselves to criticism. Some of it is useful, while others are unfortunately dressed up in scholarly language that betrays an ideological predisposition instead of deep engagement with the work. One critique recently brought to my attention deserves a response.
BIG READ: In defence of economics Nobel laureates

Jan 6, 2025 | businesslive.co.za | Ross Harvey

Nobel prizes in economics are controversial affairs, understandably. Providing parsimonious answers to difficult development questions is a tough ask, and those who take it on open themselves to criticism. Some of it is useful, while others are unfortunately dressed up in scholarly language that betrays an ideological predisposition instead of deep engagement with the work. One critique recently brought to my attention deserves a response.
What does a second Trump term mean for Africa?

Nov 12, 2024 | gga.org | Ross Harvey

Donald Trump, to the chagrin of many, is firmly re-established in the White House. The day before the election, The Economist predicted a Kamala Harris win, but its model appeared to be overly sensitive to small-sample polls and insufficiently sensitive to Trump’s popularity in the swing states. Most pundits and Western media are horrified at the prospect of Trump in the White House, and his past record of engagement with African countries leaves much to be desired.
Why this year’s economics Nobel matters for Africa

Oct 22, 2024 | gga.org | Ross Harvey

One of my favourite economists has eventually won a Nobel prize, with Simon Johnson and James Robinson. Daron Acemoglu’s work has shaped my outlook on development perhaps more than any other thinker. Their prize comes 23 years after the authors’ epic paper “The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation” was published in the American Economic Review in 2001.
The allure of the “Rwanda Model”: why it’s misplaced

Sep 25, 2024 | crown.co.za | Ross Harvey

By Dr Ross Harvey, director of research and programmes at Good Governance Africa (GGA) A view that appears to be gaining traction in some policy circles is that African countries need a benevolent dictator. The argument runs along the lines of suggesting that we’re not quite ready for democracy. Due to democracy’s apparent inability to strengthen institutions and produce economic growth, we should resort to a kind of autocracy that delivers material dividends.
Governance is not only about clean audits

Sep 8, 2024 | mg.co.za | Nompumelelo Vumazonke |Ross Harvey

Clean audits are a necessary but insufficient condition for achieving governance performance. But there is more to the story than that. It is highly unlikely that audited entities will deliver value for their shareholders in the long run unless their finances are clean and efficient. But those finances also have to be geared towards achieving the entity’s mandate. Governance can be a rather enigmatic concept.
Mining the potential of green industry

Aug 31, 2024 | mg.co.za | Nompumelelo Vumazonke |Ross Harvey

A July TED talk by Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, had already reached 648 293 views at the time of writing. It is not a good-news talk. Essentially, the scientific assessment is that the average ocean temperature is rising dangerously and some of the earth’s key natural systems of absorbing carbon are at tipping point. In other words, places like the Amazon are at risk of being transformed from forest to savannah because of deforestation.
Killing the last big tuskers for ‘sport’

Aug 20, 2024 | gga.org | Ross Harvey

Five iconic elephant bulls have been slaughtered by trophy hunters in Tanzania in the last eight months, at least two of which were “super-tuskers”. An unofficial agreement between Kenya and Tanzania had protected these elephants for 30 years. A new Avaaz petition rightly calls on the Tanzanian government to end the madness. The Amboseli elephants have been studied extensively for nearly five decades now.
GNU must reignite the culture of democracy

Jul 30, 2024 | mg.co.za | Ross Harvey

A growing axis of authoritarianism across the world threatens the democracies that remain, of which there are only a handful (24) that The Economist Intelligence Unit classifies as “full democracies”. In its 2023 index of democratic health — Age of Conflict — South Africa fell two places from its 2022 rank. We are placed at 47 (out of 167 countries). Our real downfall is in the category of “Political Culture”, in which we score five (out of a possible 10).
Mining for Conservation?

Jul 29, 2024 | crown.co.za | Ross Harvey

By Dr Ross Harvey, director of research and programmes at Good Governance Africa (GGA) I had the privilege of growing up in some of the most remote places in southern Africa: mining towns. Essentially, I grew up in the bush. This early exposure to wild landscapes got me thinking about the relationship between rich ore bodies under the ground and the natural environment. The result is that I have two often parallel passions.