The main aim of this thesis is to investigate the relationship between political stability, inflation, unemployment, GDP per capita, and vice versa. Previously this question has been studied in the relationship between political stability and each of these economic variables individually. With this research we can analyse if the poor economic performance in some countries is caused by unstable political institutions, that is why we find it important. Here we are analysing and comparing all of the economical variables at the same time and analysing which ones show the strongest relationships, or if the relationships are significant or not significant. In previous studies, the measurements that were used for political stability were: government changes, cabinet changes, index of economic freedom, or polity state. However, in this paper, the political stability measurement used is the Political stability index and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, which measures the likelihood that the government will be destabilised. Additionally, differently, from previous studies, Granger causality is used to understand causality between political stability and economic development variables.

Income inequality and its relationship to long-term GDP per capita growth has been researched for decades since the development of the Kuznet’s Curve. Theoretical and empirical research has shown mixed results including positive, negative, non-existent, or statistically insignificant relationships. Empirical research on income inequality and economic growth in the United States has also shown mixed results. In addition to using existing data, this paper uses originally-constructed Gini Coefficients from 2005 to 2009. A statistically significant negative correlation between income inequality, and both short-term growth and long-term growth is found in the analysis of this data. Finally, this paper attempts to justify a causal relationship between income inequality and long-term growth.

Denna forskningsstudies syfte är att undersöka sambandet mellan internationell handel och ekonomisk tillväxt och effekten som internationell handel har på ekonomisk tillväxt i afrikanska länder söder om Saharaöknen (Subsahariska Afrika). Majoriteten av tidigare studier och forskning inom detta område hävdar att det finns en positivt korrelation mellan dessa två variabler men ändå så finns det fortfarande vissa som ifrågasätter hur pass stor påverkan dessa två variabler egentligen har, om den effekten verkligen är tillräckligt signifikant för att anses vara betydelsefullt samt viktig. Informationen och datan som använts i denna studie är tagna från World Bank Group (Världsbanken), Human Development Reports och Fraser Institute. Studiens teoretiska referensram använder sig av tillväxtteorier, vilket bestod av Solowmodellen, endogen tillväxtteori och institutionell teori samt handelsteorier, som bestod av den Ricardianska modellen och Heckscher-Ohlin modellen för att bättre förklara konceptet av ekonomisk tillväxt och hur internationell handel kan komma att påverka processen till att uppnå ekonomisk tillväxt. Inom denna undersökning utfördes en panel-data studie med stöd av en regressionsanalys för att kunna mäta korrelationen mellan internationell handel och ekonomisk tillväxt. Den beroende variabeln för denna forskningsstudie var ekonomisk tillväxt i form av den årliga BNP per capita-tillväxten medan de oberoende variablerna innehöll bland annat internationell handel, utbildning, kapital, befolkningstillväxt, arbetskraft, korruption och ekonomisk frihet. Dessutom inkluderar undersökningen 36 utav de totala 48 möjliga länder i Subsahariska Afrika och är avgränsad till en tioårsperiod mellan 2009–2019. Slutresultatet av denna studies forskning visar att det finns ett signifikant positivt korrelation mellan ekonomisk tillväxt och internationell handel och kommer då fram till slutsatsen att internationell handel faktiskt har en viktig effekt/påverkan och är därför nödvändig för att uppnå ekonomisk tillväxt. / The purpose of this research study is to examine the relationship between international trade and economic growth and the effect that international trade has on economic growth in sub-Saharan African countries (Sub-Saharan Africa). The majority of previous studies and research in this area claim that there is a positive correlation between these two variables, yet there are still some who question how much these two variables actually have influenced each other and if that effect is really significant enough to be considered significant as well as important. The information and data used in this study are taken from the World Bank Group, Human Development Reports and Fraser Institute. The study's theoretical framework uses growth theories, which consisted of the Solow model and endogenous growth theory, and trade theories, which consisted of the Ricardian model, the Heckscher-Ohlin model, and institutional theory to better explain the concept of economic growth and how international trade can affect the process of achieving economic growth. Within this research, a panel dataset study was carried out with the support of a regression analysis in order to measure the correlation between international trade and economic growth. The dependent variable for this research study was economic growth in the form of annual GDP per capita growth, while the independent variables included international trade, education, capital, population growth, labor force, corruption and economic freedom. Additionally, the study includes thirty-six out of a total of forty-eight possible countries in sub-Saharan Africa and is limited to a ten-year period between 2009-2019. The final result of this study's research shows that there is a significant positive correlation between economic growth and international trade and concludes that international trade actually has a very important effect/impact and is essential to achieving economic growth.