Why does a huge income gap still exist between developed and developing countries? Plausible causes on the surface may be the difference in technology, the quality of human resources, and economic institutions, but on the deeper level the gap reflects the success and failure of state building which is vital for economic development. This book provides cutting-edge knowledge on state building, economic development, and democratization based on case studies of Japan, ASEAN, South Asia, and selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

The book examines the interaction between land policies and the state building in sub-Saharan Africa. It also pays special attention to corruption, which affects the relationship between the state and the development, and decentralization, which exerts influences on the contentious politics. Finally, the book also sheds new light on the failure and success of industrial policies based on a literature review and a case study of the rapidly growing pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh.

This book is one of the few studies which squarely addresses state building and economic development, and will be of use to those interested in this subject, development practitioners, and policymakers in developing countries.