Government 42: Politics of Africa

Transcription

1 Dartmouth College Spring 2014 Jeremy Horowitz MWF 1:45-2:50 pm Office: Silsby Hall 203 X-period: Thurs. 1:00-1:50 pm Classroom: Silsby Hall 213 Office hours: Mon. 3:00 5:00pm & by appointment Government 42: Politics of Africa 1. Course Description: This course provides an introduction to several major debates in the study of contemporary African politics. We will focus on four main themes: 1) colonialism and its legacy, 2) the transition to democracy, 3) the political economy of development, and 4) conflict. In examining these themes, we will draw on a wide range of materials from particular countries, as well as more general political science and economics literature. 2. Course Goals: The main goals for the course are: To cultivate an interest in African politics and developing areas more generally. To provide an introduction to several of the main debates in the study of African politics since 1960, and scholarly approaches to these debates. To provide exposure to background and historical material students need to understand the context for current debates about African politics. To provide students with greater exposure to social science methodologies: how we go about posing questions, developing answers, and testing our ideas in rigorous ways. To provide a foundation for further exploration of topics that may be of particular interest. 3. Assignments Pop Quizzes During the quarter, I will give six pop quizzes. The goal is to provide an incentive that encourages students to keep up with the readings and to reward those who do so. The quizzes will take just a few minutes, and will consist of a few basic questions about the readings for that day (main arguments, key facts, results, conclusions, etc.). Filling in your name will count as one question, which is to say you ll get some credit for showing up. Each student s lowest quiz grade will be dropped before the total quiz grade is calculated. If you know in advance of a class session from which you will be absent because of a Dartmouth obligation (e.g., sports team on the road) or an excusable personal event (e.g., family emergency), send me an and I will excuse you from the quiz if held on the day you miss. 1

2 Map Quiz Studying African politics requires some familiarity with the continent s most basic political feature: the location of its countries (including the islands). The map quiz will test your ability to identify a random sample of countries. To aid your learning, a blank map and a list of countries will be placed on canvas. Exams (midterm and final) Each exam will draw from assigned readings and class discussions up to that point. The final will inevitably focus more heavily on material from the last part of the term, given that you will already have been tested on earlier material, but the whole term is fair game on the final. Exams are generally a mixture of short answer questions (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, or identification questions) and an essay. Paper Each student will produce a final paper (roughly 10 pages). The goal of the paper is to apply the concepts and theoretical arguments from the class to a particular country case study. You will have the option of writing about one of the three major themes explored in the latter portion of the course: 1) democratization, 2) economic development, or 3) conflict and violence. Additional details will be provided. Grades will be calculated as follows: Pop quizzes 12.5% Map quiz 2.5% Midterm exam 25% Final exam 30% Paper 30% 4. Course Materials: The following books are available for purchase at Wheelock Books (hard copies will also be placed on reserves in the library). All other readings can be accessed through canvas. (1) Meredith, Martin The Fate of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence. London: Free Press. (2) Bates, Robert Markets and States in Tropical Africa: The Political Basis of Agricultural Policies. (Second edition). Berkeley: University of California Press. (3) Moyo, Dambisa Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa. NY: Farar, Straus, and Giroux. 2

3 5. Additional resources: PowerPoint slides: I will place my PowerPoint slides on canvas every now and again. I do not post these before class because note taking is a valuable exercise, and I do not want my slides to substitute for your own notes. The Academic Skills Center. The Academic Skills Center provides a variety of services designed to help students excel academically (e.g., tutors, study groups, skills-building workshops, etc.). For more info, visit dartmouth.edu/~acskills/ The Student Center for Writing, Research, and Information Technology (RWIT). RWIT provides students with assistance in conceptualizing, researching, and proofreading written work. For more info, visit dartmouth.edu/~rwit/ 6. Class Policies: The Honor Principle. All students are reminded of their obligation to conduct themselves in accordance with the Standards of Conduct in general and with the Academic Honor Principle in particular. The Academic Honor Principle is available at Please review the section on plagiarism in particular and contact me if you have any questions. X-Hours. I reserve the option of using x-hours if we need extra time to cover the material on the syllabus. Students should not schedule other obligations that conflict with the x- hour for this course. Late papers will be penalized one-third of a grade per day. If you anticipate that you will have a problem meeting a deadline due to an excusable issue (e.g., family emergency, grave illness, etc.) contact me before the assignment is due to make appropriate arrangements. Disabilities. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact me before the end of the second week of the term to arrange appropriate accommodations. Religious Observance. If you have a religious observance that conflicts with your participation in the course, please contact me before the end of the second week of the term to discuss appropriate accommodations. Office Hours. I will be available during the times noted on the first page for meetings with students. If you are unable to meet during these times, please me to set up an appointment at an alternative time. 3

4 Week 1: Colonialism and independence Monday, March 24 Introduction Optional: Edwards, Paul N How to Read a Book, v4.0. University of Michigan. Wednesday, March 26 Colonialism Collins, Robert O. and James M. Burns A History of Sub-Saharan Africa. NY: Cambridge. Chapters 18 & 20. WATCH: Africa States of Independence The Scramble for Africa: [45 minutes] Friday, March 28 Guest speaker (Richard Joseph): Democracy in Africa Joseph, Richard Democracy and Reconfigured Power in Africa. Current History. Joseph, Richard. Democracy at Bay: The Arab Spring and Sub-Saharan Africa. Africaplus.com: Week 2: Politics in Africa s New States Monday, March 31 Independence Boahen, A. Adu African Perspectives on Colonialism. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins. Chapter 4. Meredith, chapters 1, 4, 5, 7. Wednesday, April 2 Authoritarianism Meredith, chapter 9. Young, Crawford The Heritage of Colonialism. In Harbeson and Rothchild, eds., Africa in World Politics. Boulder, CO: Westview. Bates, Robert When Things Fell Apart. New York: Cambridge. Chapter 3. Przeworski, Adam and Fernando Limongi Modernization: Theories and Facts. World Politics 49(2): Friday, April 4 NO CLASS Week 3: From Authoritarianism to Democracy Monday, April 7 Single-party regimes [MAP QUIZ TODAY] Meredith, chapter 13. Robert Jackson and Carl Rosberg Personal Rule: Theory and Practice in Africa in Lewis, ed., Africa: Dilemmas of Development and Change. Westview. WATCH: The Last King of Scotland 4

5 Wednesday, April 9 Democratization Meredith, Ch. 23. Bratton, Michael and Nicolas van de Walle Popular Protest and Political Reform in Africa. Comparative Politics 24(4): Thursday, April 10 [optional x-hour] Interpreting statistical findings Friday, April 11 Democratization II Levitsky, Steven and Lucan Way Linkage versus Leverage: Rethinking the International Dimension of Regime Change. Comparative Politics 38(4): Brown, Stephen From Demiurge to Midwife: Changing Donor Role in Kenya s Democratization Process. In Murunga and Nasong o, eds., Kenya: Struggle for Democracy. London: Zed Books. Week 4: Democracy: An Interim Balance Sheet Monday, April 14 Does democracy deliver? van de Walle, Nicolas "Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss? The Evolution of Political Clientelism in Africa. In Kitschlt and Wilkinson, eds., Patrons, Clients and Policies,. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. WATCH: Fueling Poverty (2012) Harding, Robin and David Stasage What Democracy Does (and Doesn t Do) for Basic Services: School Fees, School Inputs, and African Elections. Journal of Politics 76(1): Wednesday, April 16 Is democracy compatible with ethnicity? Bates, Robert Modernization, Ethnic Competition and the Rationality of Politics, in Rothchild and Olorunsola, eds., State versus Ethnic Claims. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. Boone, Catherine and Norma Kriger Land Patronage and Elections: Winners and Losers in Zimbabwe and Cote d Ivoire. In Bekoe, ed., Voting in Fear. Washington, DC: Zed. Friday, April 18 MIDTERM EXAM Week 5: Dominant parties South Africa Monday, April 21 Race and politics in South Africa Meredith, chapter 24. Ferree, Karen E Framing the Race in South Africa: The Political Origins of Racial-Census Elections. Cambridge University Press. Chapters 1 and 2. Wednesday, April 23 Race and politics in South Africa II Ferree Chapters 6 and 7. 5

6 Harris, Adam. The End of Race-Based Politics in South Africa? Washington Post (Monkey Cage), January 29, Friday, April 25 Race and politics in South Africa III Southall, Roger The ANC for Sale? Money, Morality, and Business in South Africa. Review of African Political Economy 35(11): Alexander, Peter Rebellion of the Poor: South Africa s Service Delivery Protests a Preliminary Analysis. Review of African Political Economy 37(123): Bekoe, Dorine. What To Expect in the 2014 South African Elections. Washington Post (Monkey Cage), March 20, Week 6: Political Economy of Development Monday, April 28 Development strategies Meredith, chapters 10, 14, 16 & 22. Wednesday, April 30 History and institutions Acemoglu, Daron and James A. Robinson Why Is Africa Poor? Economic History of Developing Regions 25(1): Friday, May 2 Structural constraints Jeffrey Sachs The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for our Time. Penguin Press: Chapter 3, 10, 13. WATCH: Angelina Jolie s Diary with Dr. Jeffrey Sachs: Week 7: Political Economy of Development, continued Monday, May 5 Policy choices Bates, Robert H Markets and States in Tropical Africa. Berkeley: University of California Press. Chapters Intro, 1, 2 and 4 Wednesday, May 7 Policy choices II Bates 1981, chapters 5, 6 & 7. Friday, May 9 What role for foreign aid? Moyo, Dambisa Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa. Pages

7 Week 8: Civil War Monday, May 12 Economic approaches Collier, Paul Doing Well Out of War. In Berdal and Malone., eds., Greed and Grievance: Economic Agendas in Civil War. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner. Wednesday, May 14 State capacity James Fearon and David Laitin Ethnicity, insurgency and Civil Wars. American Political Science Review 97(1): WATCH: KONY 2012: Friday, May 16 Ethnicity Roessler, Philip The Enemy Within: Personal Rule, Coups, and Civil War in Africa. World Politics 63(2): Week 9: Civil War, continued Monday, May 19 Rebel groups I Reno, William Warfare in Independent Africa. NY: Cambridge. Chapter 4. Wednesday, May 21 Rebel groups II Reno 2011, chapter 5. Friday, May 23 Looking forward Strauss, Scott Wars Do End! Changing Patterns of Political Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Affairs 111(443): Radelet, Steven Emerging Africa: How 17 Countries are Leading the Way. Washington, DC: Center for Global Development. Chapter 1. WATCH: George Ayittey, Ted talk: Cheetahs vs. Hippos for Africa s Future. PAPERS DUE: Tuesday, May 27, 11:59pm FINAL EXAM: Friday, May 30, 3:00-6:00 pm 7