Colonialism and Institutional Persistence: Mixed Legislative Legacies in Ghana and Kenya

Abstract

A large literature investigates the institutional legacies of European colonialism around the world. However, in linking contemporary outcomes to colonial antecedents, most works seldom identify specific institutions or their temporal evolution. This paper examines the institutional legacies of colonialism in Africa through the lens of colonial legislatures. Cross-country analyses show that the correlation between colonial antecedents and contemporary measures of legislative strength is tenuous and sensitive to measurement. A comparative study of legislative development in Ghana and Kenya explains the mixed legacies of colonial legislatures. Beyond colonial institutional design, temporal variation in intra-legislative factional politics explains legislative development in the two countries. This article highlights the importance of understanding the specific mechanisms behind colonial institutional persistence and change.