Editing Politics of Botswana (section)

=== Economic policy ===
{{Further|Economy of Botswana}}
Botswana is an upper middle income country with a [[mixed economy]] and it has one of the strongest economies in Africa. The foundation of Botswana's economic policy was set by the first post-independence government in the 1960s, incorporating a self-sustaining budget system through a series of national development plans.<ref name=":7" /> There is significant [[income inequality]] in Botswana, particularly between the relatively developed urban areas and the poorer rural areas.{{Sfn|Hillbom|Bolt|2018|p=5}} The unemployment rate in Botswana was 20% as of 2015.<ref name=":14" /> Botswana's dependence on the diamond industry has led to diversification of the economy becoming one of the nation's major economic policy goals throughout its history. Government programs such as the [[National Development Bank of Botswana|National Development Bank]], the [[Botswana Development Corporation]], the [[Financial Assistance Policy]] and the [[Economic Diversification Drive]] have been implemented to spur economic growth in other industries, but they have not significantly decreased the nation's dependence on its diamond industry.{{Sfn|Hillbom|Bolt|2018|p=144}}

The economy of colonial Bechuanaland focused on cattle farming and this was the primary industry for the first decade of Botswana's independence.{{Sfn|Hillbom|Bolt|2018|p=16}} As most of the nation was involved with this field in some form, there was little cause for class conflict in the predominantly rural population. While land distribution was sometimes an issue, there was enough unclaimed land that cattle farmers could operate as nomads, further reducing disagreement over economic issues.{{Sfn|Leith|2005|p=55}} In 1967, diamond deposits were found in Botswana.{{Sfn|Hillbom|Bolt|2018|p=8}} This incentivised the government to pursue a [[commodity economy]] from [[mining]], supplemented with smaller industries such as beef farming, manufacturing and tourism.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last1=Mwansa |first1=Lengwe-Katembula |last2=Jacques |first2=Gloria |date=2014 |title=Weathering the Storm: Botswana's Culture of Care |journal=The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare |volume=41 |issue=2 |pages=109–125|doi=10.15453/0191-5096.3953 |s2cid=54529195 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The country's economic success is attributed to [[Neoliberalism|neoliberal]] policies of free markets and private property protections, significantly increasing the population's post-independence living standards.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":7" /> Botswana was one of the only sub-Saharan governments that did not engage in significant regulatory or redistributive policy following decolonisation. This, as well as its fiscally responsible management of the diamond industry, led to some of the world's largest economic growth over the following decades.<ref name=":12" />{{Sfn|Hillbom|Bolt|2018|p=8}} More recent development has emphasised [[welfare state]]hood through redistributive economic policy.<ref name=":7" />