Politics, Elections, and the State in Africa
| Module title | Politics, Elections, and the State in Africa |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL3227 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Elena Gadjanova (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
States in Africa are among the most diverse in the world. What are the sources of this diversity? What consequences does it have for nation-building, governance, and politics? How can competing solidarities be reconciled in the framework of electoral democracy on the continent? Drawing on theories from political science, sociology, and anthropology, you will trace how political identities in Africa have been constructed and employed in order to either reinforce or challenge state authority. You will critically engage with common conceptions of the African state as ‘failed’, ‘weak’, ‘of the belly’, ‘extroverted’, ‘neo-patrimonial’. Using country case studies, you will examine the role of competitive elections and compare experiences with political competition under authoritarianism, single-party rule, and multi-party democracy. You will unpack the consequences of ethnic politics for the state and talk about which institutions can more effectively accommodate ethnic differences in highly diverse societies. You will also look at how youth, religion, gender, and class have reconfigured politics in Africa in the multi-party era.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to furnish you with the conceptual and analytical tools required to understand Africa’s evolving states and their politics. On completing the module, you will be able to critically engage with different conceptions of African statehood, understand the historical roots and evolution of the social identities driving politics in Africa, and evaluate past and present dangers to democracy on the continent. Through detailed case studies, you will gain in-depth knowledge of the history, culture, and contemporary politics of at least one country in Africa. The module aims to foster a genuine appreciation for the complexities of societies in Africa and inspire you to delve deeper into issues related to the governance of highly diverse states in Africa and beyond.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. critically engage with common conceptions of the African state and some of their critiques;
- 2. substantively converse about Africa and contemporary African politics;
- 3. critically assess the process of and challenges to nation-building in at least one African country;
- 4. clearly articulate and evaluate some of the main challenges to good governance and democracy in Africa.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. understand theories of state-building, political parties, party competition, ethnic politics, and clientelistic politics, particularly as they relate to Africa;
- 6. improve your understanding of the comparative method in Political Science;
- 7. improve your grasp of elements of research design in Political Science.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. demonstrate improved presentation, writing, and exposition skills;
- 9. demonstrate improved analytical skills;
- 10. provide constructive feedback to peers;
- 11. synthesize empirical material and communicate it effectively.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Politics, elections, and the state: key concepts
- Colonial legacies and the state in Africa
- Ethnicity in Africa
- Nationalism in Africa
- Politics under authoritarianism/hegemonic party rule
- Politics under multi-party democracy
- Public goods provision, nation-building, and the state in Africa
- Elections and ethnic politics in Africa
- Clientelism and elections in Africa
- Political institutions for Africa’s plural societies: federal and unitary states
- Beyond ethnicity: new social cleavages and politics in Africa
- Challenges to democracy in Africa
- Case studies and student presentations
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 256 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activity | 44 | 22 x 2 hour weekly seminars |
| Guided independent study | 80 | Seminar preparation, completion of weekly assigned readings |
| Guided independent study | 30 | Presentation preparation |
| Guided independent study | 146 | Final paper preparation: reading, researching for, and drafting the essay, paper outline, and final paper for the class |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final paper outline | 1 page (500 words) | 5-9, 11 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | 0 | 30 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual presentation | 30 | 15 minutes + 5 minutes for feedback and questions | 1-8, 10-11 | Verbal, written |
| Final paper | 70 | 5,000 words | 1-9 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Written assignment (academic poster), (2,000 words) | 1-9, 10-11 | August/September reassessment period |
| Final paper | Final paper (5,000 words) | 1-9 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Cheeseman, Nic. 2015. Democracy in Africa, Cambridge University Press
Hyden, Goran. 2006. African Politics in Comparative Perspective, Cambridge University Press
Chazan, Naomi. 1999. “The Diversity of African Politics: Trends and Approaches” in Chazan et. al. Politics and Society in Contemporary Africa”, Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Manning, Carrie. 2005. “Assessing African Party Systems after the Third Wave”, Party Politics 11:6, pp. 707-727.
Miguel, Edward. 2004. “Tribe or Nation? Nation-building and Public Goods in Kenya versus Tanzania”, World Politics 56:3, pp. 327-362.
Posner, Daniel. 2003. “The Colonial Origins of Ethnic Cleavages: The case of Linguistic Divisions in Zambia”, Comparative Politics 35: 22, pp. 127-146.
Bratton, Michael and Nicholas Van de Walle. 1997. Democratic Experiments in Africa: Regime Transitions in Comparative Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, chapter 2.
Wantchekon, Leonard. 2003. “Clientelism and Voting Behavior: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Benin,” World Politics 55: 3, pp. 399-422.
Young, Crawford. 2002. “Deciphering Disorder in Africa: Is Identity the Key”, World Politics 54:4, pp. 532-557.
Ellis, Stephen. 1988. “Religion and Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa”, Journal of Modern African Studies 36:2, pp. 175-201.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
The following websites will be used to complement class readings and discussion:
Democracyinafrica.org
Africasacountry.com
Theelephant.info
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
Students will be asked to listen to and reflect on at least one episode of BBC series “Focus on Africa”: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/n13xtmgm each week.
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/03/2018 |
| Last revision date | 04/02/2022 |
