This course is required for the undergraduate certificate 

Kris Inman

Tu 5:00PM- 7:30 PM

Most sub-Saharan African governments began independence as democracies. With few exceptions, they gave way to authoritarian rule and remained so for 25 years. At the beginning of the 1990s, a wave of political liberalization began to sweep across the region. This course will examine the nature of political institutions and political rule in sub-Saharan Africa since independence, including the factors leading to these political changes. Key topics will include the colonial political inheritance, ethnicity and social characteristics of African societies, the nature of and role of the military, political parties, legislatures, judiciaries, the media, interest groups, patronage networks, external powers, and the role of economic conditions (including structural adjustment programs) in influencing African politics. The course will conclude by asking whether the current trend toward democratization will endure.