Final answer:
The cycle of economic dependence persisted after independence due to continued foreign ownership of key sectors, reliance on cash crop exports, and influx of cheaper foreign goods. Countries such as India nationalized industries to regain control, but the overall challenge was to overcome economic structures rooted in colonialism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cycle of economic dependence that existed during colonial times often continued after a country gained independence. In many regions, industries and public utilities remained foreign-owned, which made independent economic self-reliance challenging to achieve. For instance, in India, governments like Nehru's nationalized vital sectors including the railroads, electric utilities, and communication systems to regain economic control. This move inspired many new African and Asian countries to follow suit. Nevertheless, the economies of most African nations are still predominantly reliant on mining and cash crop exports, making it difficult to budget and plan due to global price fluctuations and the diminishing value of raw material exports.
Similarly, in Latin America, the removal of protective taxes on foreign-made goods post-independence led to an influx of cheaper European and U.S. manufactured products, outcompeting local industries. Economic forces continued to integrate countries into global networks of dependency, highlighted by the experiences of Southeast Asia, where the influence of old colonial powers remained economically significant, despite the lack of political control. Moreover, longstanding dependence on commodities like the South's reliance on cotton and slavery underscores the intricate connection between economic practices and political structures.
Despite the challenges, there were success stories, such as in India, where entrepreneurs invested in industrial developments that could compete internationally. Nevertheless, the overarching theme post-independence remained one of struggling to break free from economic structures established during colonial rule.