Politicians and Poachers: The Political Economy of Wildlife Policy in Africa

by Clark C. Gibson

• ISBN13: 9780521663786
• ISBN10: 0521663784
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-08-13
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This book explores the politics of wildlife conservation policy in Africa, specifically Zambia, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. The book addresses a general question: Why don't wildlife policies seem to be working? Rather than use standard explanations such as "bureaucratic inefficiency" or "corrupt dictators," the book demonstrates how politicians at all levels use wildlife policy for their own political ends, which may or may not include conservation. The book uses electoral and archival data, as well as interviews with individuals ranging from presidents to poachers to address this issue.

Author Biography

Clark C. Gibson is an assistant professor of political science and research associate at the Center for the Study of Institutions, Population, and Environmental Change at Indiana University.

Table of Contents

Series editor's preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xiii
Politics, Institutions, and Animals: Explaining the Content, Continuity, and Change of African Wildlife Policy	1	(20)
I. The National Politics of Wildlife Policy
Unkept Promises and Party largesse: The Politics of Wildlife in the Independence Period	21	(28)
The Political Logic of Poaching in One-Party States	49	(34)
II. The Bureaucratic Politics of Wildlife Policy
The Conservationists Strike Back: ``Community-Based'' Wildlife Policy and the Politics of Structural Choice, 1983--1991	83	(36)
III. The Local Politics of Wildlife Policy
The Consequences of Institutional Design: The Impact of ``Community-Based'' Wildlife Management Programs at the Local Level	119	(34)
Conclusion: Exploring the Political Economy of African Wildlife Policy	153	(12)
Notes	165	(52)
Bibliography	217	(22)
Index	239