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This module provides an understanding of contemporary African politics. The module aims to go deep into the social, economic, and cultural dimensions that make up African politics today. The core questions that this module seeks to answer are: (1) How does Africa’s long colonial, and precolonial, history influence the economies and politics on the continent? (2) What are the differences in forms of governance across the continent that have led to political upheaval and violence in some countries and not others? (3) What are the challenges to economic growth and political stability in Africa? (4) What is the state of democracy in Africa, its limitations, its strengths, and its future?

The module is divided into three parts. The first part will focus on colonial and precolonial structures and then assess the direct and indirect impact of colonialism following independence. The second part considers the sources, and consequences, of important variation in governance outcomes relating to ethnicity, state capacity, and political regime types. The last part focuses on a cluster of modern governance challenges posed by issues such as elections, conflict, migration, and foreign aid.

There are no formal prerequisites for this module and no prior knowledge will be assumed, but students would benefit from having prior experience in quantitative statistical analysis to make the most of the empirical aspects of the course.