Dr George Ofosu

This course is available on the BA in Social Anthropology, BSc in History and Politics, BSc in International Social and Public Policy with Politics, BSc in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, BSc in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (with a Year Abroad), BSc in Politics, BSc in Politics and Economics, BSc in Politics and International Relations, BSc in Politics and Philosophy, BSc in Social Anthropology, Erasmus Reciprocal Programme of Study and Exchange Programme for Students from University of California, Berkeley. This course is not available as an outside option to students on other programmes. This course is available with permission to General Course students.

This course is capped at 2 groups. It also has a limited number of places for each group. Places are allocated on a first come first served basis.

This course introduces students to major issues, themes, and theories in contemporary debates on government and politics in Sub-Saharan Africa. It is organized around a set of central questions in the comparative study of African politics. First, to what extent are political outcomes in contemporary Africa shaped by history, society, and geography? Second, why are state institutions and government capacity weaker in many African countries than in other regions of the world? Third, why have political leaders in some African countries adopted policies that undermine economic growth? Fourth, what role does ethnicity play in shaping political behaviour and economic development? Finally, under what conditions do multiparty elections improve governance and political accountability in Sub-Saharan Africa?

To address these questions, the course is divided into four parts. The first examines Africa’s political history, including pre-colonial political systems, the effects of the slave trade, and the legacies of colonial rule for post-colonial states and societies. The second focuses on the social and political forces that shape contemporary forms of government, with particular attention to state structures, institutions, and capacity. The third explores the sources of economic development and underdevelopment, emphasizing policy choices, legal institutions, natural resources, and the mixed impact of foreign aid. The final part examines Africa’s democratic experiences, focusing on political parties, elections, electoral fraud and violence, transparency initiatives, the role of traditional authorities, and gender.

10 hours of lectures and 15 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

Essay (1200 words).

There will be one 1,200-word formative assignment (short essay) exploring a country case of your choice.

The main themes and organisation for the course will be guided by these two books:

Christensen, D., & Laitin, D. D. (2019). African states since independence: Order, development, and democracy. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Thomson, A. (2022). An introduction to African politics. Routledge.

Continuous assessment (20%).

Essay (80%, 3000 words) in Winter Term Week 1.

For the in-class assessment: Students will be asked to serve as a seminar discussant during the term. Students will be required to select two of the ten seminar weeks to serve as discussant. On these weeks the discussant will write a two or three-page memo that discusses the readings in a comparative perspective.

GENERAL COURSE STUDENTS ONLY:

The Class Summary Grade for General Course students will be based on formative coursework (75%) and attendance (25%).