Which of the following was the initial, primary cause of lack of government capacity in postcolonial countries?
A)the control of most government programs by the military
B)endemic corruption among governmental workers
C)the absence of a professional bureaucracy
D)the strong service-sector orientation of the economy
E)ethnic divisions among civil servants

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The absence of a professional bureaucracy was the initial, primary cause of lack of government capacity in postcolonial countries. This was due to the fact that many of these countries inherited colonial bureaucracies that were not equipped to handle the demands of independent nation-states. Additionally, many of the colonial powers had deliberately limited the capacity of their colonial bureaucracies to prevent the rise of nationalist movements. As a result, postcolonial governments were faced with the challenge of staffing bureaucracies with professionals who had both the technical skills and the loyalty to the new regime. The other options may have contributed to the problem in various ways, but they are not the initial, primary cause.

Which of the Following Was the Initial, Primary Cause of Lack