BEYOND EAST ASIA: EMBEDDED AUTONOMY AND DEVELOPMENTAL PATRIMONIALISM IN RWANDA FRANCIS GAUDREAULT

Abstract

This study investigates Rwanda’s adaptation of the East Asian developmental state model, specifically the concept of “embedded autonomy” in public-private relations. Using a single-case design with 66 elite interviews and archival analysis, the research reveals how Rwanda utilizes political insulation and strategic coordination with military-linked conglomerates to drive growth. The findings show that Rwanda “Africanizes” the model through centralized rent management and party-statals, serving as functional substitutes for a weak private sector. While challenging the East Asian exclusivity of the model, the study cautions that Rwanda's specific post-genocide settlement may limit the replicability of this hybrid framework in different contexts.