The development finance industry would like us to believe that money for infrastructure, education, and other needs goes to where it's needed most. The reality, though, isn't that simple. Politics, it turns out, plays a much more important role than many would like to admit.

Keyi Tang, an assistant professor at ESADE Business School in Spain, studied development finance data on 48 African countries over a 20-year period that revealed that money often flows to those who hold influence rather than to those who need it most.

Keyi joins Eric to discuss the findings that she recently published in her new book, "Power Over Progress: How Politics Shape Development Finance in Africa."

📌 Topics Covered in this Episode

Political forces shaping development finance
How China compares to Western lenders
Why aid often favors politically strategic regions
The role of domestic elections and power dynamics
Structural inequalities in the global finance system
The rise of borrower coordination efforts
Impact of shrinking Western and Chinese funding
How civil society can drive accountability

Show Notes:

Cambridge University Press: Power Over Progress: How Politics Shape Development Finance in Africa by Keyi Tang: https://a.co/d/04Oc87sf

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China and the Hidden Politics of Global Aid

The China-Global South Podcast

China and the Hidden Politics of Global Aid