20809246African Politics
Course Information
Description
African Politics examines continental political development in an interdisciplinary context. Students (a) summarize African history, (b) analyze internal and external influences on African politics, and (c) evaluate relationship among African states, societies, and interests. Students will complete exams, written assignments, and group activities.
Total Credits
3
Course Competencies
  1. Summarize the Development and Practice of Studying African Politics
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Objective Test
    Essay
    Criteria
    Summarize the history, development, and practice of studying African Politics.
    Analyze role of concepts such as geography, the state, civil society, and interests to the study of African Politics.
    Evaluate the costs and benefits of studying African Politics within an interdisciplinary academic context.

  2. Summarize the History of Africa’s Pre-Colonial and Colonial Periods
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Objective Test
    Essay
    Criteria
    Summarize the Pre-Colonial Periods (Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern) of African Politics.
    Analyze the Colonial Period of African Politics by addressing the following concepts: Scramble for Africa, non-hegemonic states, bureaucratic autocracy, core and peripheral states, Modern states, arbitrary boundaries, reinforcing non-hegemonic state, links between state and civil society, formation of state elites, economic inheritance, political institutions.
    Evaluate development of African Politics during the Colonial Period by highlighting contributions of the following: the state, civil society, and interests.

  3. Analyze the Role of Ethnicity and Religion in African Politics
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Objective Test
    Essay
    Criteria
    Summarize the meaning and importance of [ethnicity and religion] in the history and study of African Politics.
    Analyze the role of [ethnicity and religion] in African Politics in relation to the following concepts: African religions strengthening civil society, Islamist politics on the African continent, Instrumental religious political mobilization, Ethnic arithmetic, ethnic brokers, ethnic group, religion, and Islamism.
    Evaluate the significance of [ethnicity and religion] to the development of African Politics by highlighting the concept’s influence on the state, civil society, and interests in relation to the following case study: [Ethnicity, Religion, and the Nation-State in Nigeria].

  4. Analyze the Role of Legitimacy in African Politics
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Objective Test
    Essay
    Criteria
    Summarize the meaning and importance of [legitimacy] in the history and study of African Politics.
    Analyze the role of [legitimacy] in African Politics in relation to the following concepts: one-party state, subordination of peripheral state institutions to the core executive, characteristics of personal rule, patrimonial rule, neo-patrimonial rule, personal rule, legal-rational political order, clientelism, and client-patron network.
    Evaluate the significance of [legitimacy] to the development of African Politics by highlighting the concept’s influence on the state, civil society, and interests in relation to the following case study: [Personal Rule in Corte d’Ivoire].

  5. Analyze the Role of Coercion in African Politics
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Objective Test
    Essay
    Criteria
    Summarize the meaning and importance of [coercion] in the history and study of African Politics.
    Analyze the role of [coercion] in African Politics in relation to the following concepts: Africa and military coups, coup, coup d’état, breakthrough coup, veto coup, guardian coup, political authority, political culture, coercive power.
    Evaluate the significance of [coercion] to the development of African Politics by highlighting the concept’s influence on the state, civil society, and interests in relation to the following case study: [Uganda’s1971 Military Coup].

  6. Analyze How Sovereignty and External Interests Influence African Politics
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Objective Test
    Essay
    Criteria
    Summarize the meaning and importance of [sovereignty and external influences] in the history and study of African Politics.
    Analyze the role of [sovereignty and external influences] in African Politics in relation to the following concepts: communist powers, western powers, external powers, cessation of proxy wars, strategically downgraded, superpowers, cold war, quasi-state, proxy war, political conditionality, non-interference in domestic, jurisdictions, humanitarian intervention, containment of communism.
    Evaluate the significance of [sovereignty and external influences] to the development of African Politics by highlighting the concept’s influence on the state, civil society, and interests in relation to the following case study: [Somalia’s International Relations].