Following a survey of the pre-colonial history of the African continent, this course surveys the history of African state formation, the development of post-colonial African political practices and ideas, and ongoing challenges (to include war and conflict, illicit trafficking, environmental change and humanitarian crises) throughout the African continent, that continue to impact African livelihoods, the entire Mediterranean region, and beyond. Through case studies we consider recurring patterns of internal African state politics and policies, the ongoing influences of external actors and interests on African political norms and behaviors and, in turn, the prospects for improved security and development throughout the African continent.

The course is divided into four parts:

I. Historical Context: Why Africa matters to all of us

Part I is an introduction to African area studies, to include the controversies over Africa’s largely marginalized “voice” in everything from traditional academic disciplines to include history, debates over economic policy, and, generally, in global politics. In short, one cannot begin to understand and the norms and behaviors of modern African politics without some reflection on Africa’s history. We consider the rise and demise of Africa’s ancient kingdoms, the persistent role of tribal identities, and African ties (pre-colonial, colonial, post-colonial) with other parts of the world.

II. African Politics: The “First Independence” Era

Part II addresses the initial optimism (1950s-60s) and broad failures of Africa’s first post-colonial independent (free from colonial rule) sovereign states. We consider some of the debates within the literature of the time (on, e.g., nationalism, ethnicity and class, ideology, and ‘civil society’), as well as what might have gone wrong politically and why (1960s-80s). Case studies of domestic state politics during this post-independence period – what remain many of the “best hits” of African state politics during that largely tragic period, typically surveyed in textbooks and popular 20th-century books on the subject – are reviewed. We also consider the 1966 novel, A Man of the People, by Chinua Achebe that identifies many post-colonial patterns of African politics.

III. African Politics: internal vs. external emphases

Part II surveys the terminologies used in the study of African politics, specifically, as well as some of the leading academic debates among Africanists (experts in African area studies). We consider how many stakeholders immersed in African politics are divided into two main camps: first, those who emphasize internal political dynamics within individual African states and second, those who emphasize external influences on African politics and outcomes. Both internal and external focuses help us to better understand the cognitive lenses of individual stakeholders, to include African area specialists and policymakers. Theoretical dichotomies of this kind never include the full range of perspectives but can be a useful starting point for understanding cognitively bounded (a.k.a. bounded rationality) behavior; here the hope is that they can serve as useful frameworks for analysis.

IV. African Politics Today: The “Second Independence” Era?

In Part IV we consider the dramatic changes and outcomes (real and potential) post-Cold War.into the present era. After the 1980s – sometimes referred to as Africa’s “lost decade” – the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall led to a renewed wave of optimism among many Africanists who, tired of decades of Afro- pessimism turned to a renewed emphasis on such hopeful matters as: democratic elections, reconciliation, and liberalism. Given the failure of Africa’s “first independence,” many African area stakeholders were hopeful that the promises of the 1950s-60s would now be realized. Concerns over such matters as public health, the rise of political illiberalism, and security (notably the rise of radical insurgency groups) were also expressed during this period, neocolonial practices, as well as a renewed interest in such matters as gender (UN Women was established in 2010, replacing UNIFEM) and ongoing natural resource exploitation (from Nigeria’s oil to the rise of Chinese and other state investment in Africa). As in Part III, discussions of these and other matters are also supplemented by case studies. Special attention is given to maritime politics and maritime governing challenges of the Mediterranean basin.