This study uses international data to examine the relationship between economic
performance and its determinants for selected countries in the African Region.
Performance is defined as a positive increase in the average growth rate of the
gross domestic product. The study covers approximately 30 years, 1970 through
1999, and involves 42 African countries. After controlling for the effects of
geographic location and years of independent policy-making, the results indicate
that capital and exports contributed significantly to the growth of the gross
domestic product. Labor, on the other hand, did not conform to the hypothesized
formulation of a positive effect on output growth.
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