Journal of International Development
Volume 27, Issue 5 Pages 573–715
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jid.v27.5/issuetoc

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Special Issue: The Political Economy of Africa’s Emergent Middle Class July 2015
Issue edited by: Danielle Resnick
Introduction
The Political Economy of Africa’s Emergent Middle Class: Retrospect and Prospects (pages 573–587)
Danielle Resnick
Article first published online: 15 JUL 2015 | DOI: 10.1002/jid.3110
Abstract
This special issue introduction provides a historical perspective in order to contextualize the political economy of Africa’s emergent middle class. In doing so, three overarching research questions are discussed to better understand the middle class’ transformative potential. First, who constitute Africa’s middle class and how has this concept changed over time? Second, what dynamics explain the growth of this group? Third, what are the implications of the middle class for good governance and pro-poor policies? The contributions of each of the articles in the special issue to answering these specific questions for Africa’s contemporary middle class are then briefly discussed.
[6 Special Issue Papers]