Malawi and Madagascar are poor, agricultural nations that have had very different degrees of economic success over the past twenty-five years. The economic ideologies of their governmental leaders have been, respectively, capitalist and socialist; and the two countries have pursued quite different strategies of economic development. This is the first book in English to focus on the economic systems and long-term economic policies of either country. By making a comparison of the experiences of these two nations, this book serves not just to advance our knowledge of Africa, but also to illustrate some general forces linking poverty, equity, and growth in all developing nations.