African Politics in Comparative Perspective

by Goran Hyden

• ISBN13: 9780521671941
• ISBN10: 0521671949
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-12-05
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This book reviews fifty years of research on politics in Africa. It synthesizes insights from different scholarly approaches and offers an original interpretation of the knowledge accumulated over the years. It discusses how research on African politics relates to the study of politics in other regions. It focuses on such key issues as the legacy of a movement approach to political change, the nature of the state, the economy of a location, the policy deficit, the agrarian question, gender and politics and ethnicity and conflict. It ends by reviewing what scholars agree upon and what the accumulated knowledge offers as insights for more effective political and policy reforms. This book is for undergraduate and graduate courses in African and Comparative Politics as well as development-oriented courses in Political Science and related disciplines. It is also of great relevance to governance and development analysts and practitioners in international organizations.

Author Biography

Goran Hyden is distinguished professor in political science at the University of Florida.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	vii
The Study of Politics and Africa	1	(24)
The Movement Legacy	25	(25)
The Problematic State	50	(22)
The Economy of Affection	72	(22)
Big Man Rule	94	(22)
The Policy Deficit	116	(22)
The Agrarian Question	138	(24)
Gender and Politics	162	(21)
Ethnicity and Conflict	183	(23)
The External Dimension	206	(22)
So What Do We Know?	228	(24)
Quo Vadis Africa?	252	(23)
References	275	(24)
Index	299