Adrian Leftwich

Adrian Leftwich "works on the politics of economic growth and development with particular reference to developing countries. He is especially interested in the relationship of political science and development studies. He teaches undergraduate and post-graduate courses on the politics of development and also courses on the discipline of Politics and issues to do with state formation, weak states and developmental states. He has written and edited books on Redefining Politics, States of Development, Democracy and Development, and on What is Politics? plus articles on governance, institutions and the politics of economic growth and development. He is currently working on the role of leaders, elites and coalitions in the promotion or hindrance of political stability, economic growth and inclusive social development.

"Dr Leftwich is current co-director of the international research consortium on Improving Institutions for Pro-poor Growth (IPPG) (http://www.ippg.org.uk), funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). He has been working recently on state business relations in Malawi and on modifications in the theory and practice of developmental states. He is also working with Australian, British and American aid agencies on researching the roles which elites, leaders and coalitions have played in promoting or hindering economic growth."

Publications

• 2008. 'Developmental states, effective states and poverty reduction: the primacy of politics', United Natiuons Research Institute for Social development (UNRISD) at: http://www.unrisd.org/unrisd/website/projects.nsf/89d2a44e5722c4f480256b560052d8ad/68c40b61b9f737f6c125743900508c69/$FILE/Leftwichweb.pdf

• 2007. ‘Theorising the state’, in Peter Burnell and Vicky Randall (eds.), Politics in the Developing World, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

• 2005. ‘Politics in Command: Development Studies and the Rediscovery of Social Science’, New Political Economy, Vol. 10, 4.

• 2005. ‘Democracy and development: Is there an Institutional Incompatibility?’, Democratization, Vol. 12, 5.

• 2004. What is Politics? Cambridge, Polity Press.