Rethinking the African Integration Process: A Critical Politico-legal Perspective on Building a Democratic African Union

Abstract

The truism that ‘the quality of institution trumps everything else’ continues to shape the mechanics of contemporary institution building. The bias for quality institutions stems from the understanding that they bring about high efficiency and qualitative output. The empirical reality of the centrality of strong institutions to growth and development in the post-1945 global order lends considerable weight to this belief. The economic recovery of western European nations after the Second World War, the rise of the ‘Asian tiger’ economies, the increasing relevance of the European Union (EU), and the Botswana phenomenon are some of the corollaries of quality institutions.