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Power and Political Economy
Political economy analysis in a livelihoods context
A political economy approach in livelihoods assessments involves understanding how different actors use or maximize their positions of power for their own ends. It involves looking not only at the actors themselves, but also at the power structures within which they operate and which may constrain or enable their actions. In conflict situations, political economy analysis can help in explaining the livelihoods choices that people make, the restrictions that they face, and the ways in which their resilience may be affected.
The HEA framework and the research methods typically used in HEA fieldwork lend themselves well to incorporating political economy analysis. Political economy analysis requires examining the livelihood strategies that wealth groups pursue and their assets to determine why some groups have control over assets while others do not. It also involves looking at the factors that have caused the opportunities and relative wealth of different groups to change over time. For example, political economy analysis may help explain why the "poor" have less land than the "middle" wealth group, or why people in one livelihood zone have better infrastructure and trading opportunities than in another. These differences are often the result of political marginalization or promotion of one group’s interests over another’s. Political economy analysis helps to enrich our understanding of vulnerability not only as a function of economic conditions, but also in social and political factors.