Neopatrimonialism Revisited - Beyond a Catch-All Concept

Arbeitspapier

The article provides a critical discussion of the literature on 'patrimonialism' and 'neopatrimonialism' as far as the use in Development Studies in general or African Studies in particular is concerned. To overcome the catch-all use of the concept the authors present their own definition of neopatrimonialism based on Max Weber's concept of patrimonialism and legal-rational bureaucracy. However, in order to make the concept more useful for comparative empirical research, they argue, it needs a thorough operationalisation (qualitatively and quantitatively) and the creation of possible subtypes which, in combination, might contribute to a theory of neopatrimonial action.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: GIGA Working Papers ; No. 16

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Sozialwissenschaften, Soziologie, Anthropologie
• Subject: neopatrimonialism ; patrimonial and legal-rational bureaucratic domination ; hybrid regimes ; rent seeking ; Politisches System ; Führungsstil ; Bürokratie ; Politische Entscheidung ; Afrika

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Erdmann, Gero ; Engel, Ulf
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA)
• (where): Hamburg
• (when): 2006

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/47831
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET