Government Expenditures and the Longevity of African Leaders
Rebels in the northern Central African Republic. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
When politicians are running for office, they often make public promises to increase spending in education, health and other expenses which attract the interest of the general population. However, military expenditure may be more critical to remaining in power than expenditure aimed for the general population. This study aims to answer the following question: how does the effect of military expenditure on leaders’ longevity compare with the effect of education and health expenditure? The study will employ a survival model using a sample of 90 heads of state from 40 African countries for the period 2000 to 2017. Results of this study are forthcoming.
