The State in Africa
- GANT 6130 - The State in Africa (Spring 2008)
Thursday 6.00pm - 7.50pm
If the institutionalization of power, the local anchoring of central government and the self-limitation of the ruling classes through the codification of law constitute the central characteristics of the modern, Western-type state, then state-formation in Africa is still underway. At the same time, after the domination of development discourse for many years by a “less state”-paradigm, awareness is now growing that sustainable development is not possible without a “sustainable”, i.e. more functional, state. However, there is a striking absence of empirically grounded studies of the day-to-day functioning of African bureaucracies. This course will discuss the “real” workings of states and public services, at both the central and local levels, emphasizing literature that combines institutional, actor-centred, and historical approaches.
Concentrations:Governance and Rights, Development