Our Long Walk

What does it mean to say institutions are ‘inclusive’? What impact does coercive labour have on trust in society? Can technology disrupt entrenched gender inequalities in the workplace? And, crucially, why should policymakers in Washington care about Africa? In this episode of the Our Long Walk podcast, Jonathan Schoots and Johan Fourie discuss these and many more questions with Belinda Archibong. Belinda is an Associate Professor at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Her expertise lies in development economics, political economy and economic history, with a particular focus on Africa. You can find Belinda's papers on gender inequality in online labor markets ⁠here⁠ and her paper on prison labour ⁠here⁠. Subscribe to Johan's newsletter ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. This podcast is produced with the help of Voice Note Productions. Our producer is Vasti Calitz with editing done by Andri Burnett. Kelsey Lemon provided helpful research assistance.

How do historical insights inform modern governance? Can traditional institutions be as effective as modern bureaucracies in driving development? What can Africa’s diverse historical pathways teach us about building effective policies today? In this episode, Jonathan Schoots and Johan Fourie sit down with James Robinson, an economist and political scientist from the University of Chicago, to discuss how economic history can shape the decisions that policymakers make today. We recorded the episode before the happy news arrived on Monday that James had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics, together with Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson. Subscribe to Johan's newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. This podcast is produced with the help of Voice Note Productions. Our producer is Vasti Calitz with editing done by Andri Burnett. Kelsey Lemon provided helpful research assistance.

What role do African parliaments play in shaping governance? How do historical legacies affect contemporary political systems, and why does foreign aid often fail to build stronger local institutions? Johan Fourie and Jonathan Schoots discuss these questions - and many more - with Ken Opalo, Associate Professor at Georgetown University and author of the popular blog, An Africanist Perspective. Several of Ken’s academic papers and blog posts are mentioned in this episode: a chapter on the political economy of aid in Africa, a paper on clientalism in Kenya, and blog posts on two ideas on how to invest some of Melinda Gates’ $12.5 billion?, the powerlessness of Leftist politics in African states, and the difference between academic research and policy research. His book, 'Legislative Development in Africa: Politics and Postcolonial Legacies', is available on Amazon. The Suno song we created about Ken’s research – Wealth in People – can be found here. Make sure to sign up for his blog. Subscribe to Johan's newsletter ⁠here⁠. This podcast is produced with the help of Voice Note Productions. Our producer is Vasti Calitz with editing done by Andri Burnett. Kelsey Lemon provided helpful research assistance.

Why do good intentions by international aid workers often lead to unintended negative outcomes? How should African leaders grapple with the tension between embracing Western ideas without being dominated by them? Hosts Johan Fourie and Jonathan Schoots discuss these – and many more – questions in the first podcast interview with Princeton author and historian Bronwen Everill. Bronwen is the author of Africonomics: A History of Western Ignorance (pre-order ⁠here⁠). Mentions: Profiting from Slavery and Emancipation: Compensation, Capital, and Collateral in Nineteenth-Century Senegal Africa and the Early American Republic: Comments Subscribe to Johan's newsletter here. This podcast is produced with the help of Voice Note Productions. Our producer is Vasti Calitz with editing done by Andri Burnett. Kelsey Lemon provided helpful research assistance.