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Politics, Elections, and the State in Africa

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. 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 and examine how youth, religion, gender, and class have reconfigured politics in Africa in the multi-party era.

No prerequisites required.

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.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Understand theories of state-building, political parties, party competition, ethnic politics, and clientelistic politics, particularly as they relate to Africa.
• 4. Improve writing and literature review skills

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Demonstrate improved presentation, writing, and exposition skills.
• 6. Demonstrate improved analytical skills.

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

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

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.

Key words search

Africa, ethnicity, elections, the state, development, democracy, politics