Course Description: This course is an introduction to the contemporary politics of Africa, with the aim of sparking a life-long interest in the affairs of the region. Comprised of nearly 50 countries and home to over 1 billion people, sub-Saharan Africa is remarkable in its diversity, particularly in regards to a number of outcomes central to the study of political science: how do institutions of the past shape current dynamics of political competition and economic growth? Why are some countries stable democracies while others struggle with military coups or authoritarian rule? What sparks political violence and how can countries emerge from conflict? Our focus is both contemporary and comparative, organized thematically around common political experiences and attributes across the region. We begin with the legacies of colonialism, the slave trade, and the politics of liberation. We then interrogate dynamics central to political life in Africa over the 60 years since independence: the role of ethnic diversity in shaping competition, the prominence of patronage politics, and the evolution of elections. We next assess major dimensions that have historically shaped the study of African politics, including conflict and violence, economic development, and foreign aid. The final section takes a comparative approach to some of the most pressing issues in Africa today: health crises, migration and mobility, technological revolution, climate change, and the emerging power of women and youth.

Students will be asked to expand and/or create a wikipedia page related to a political event or topic in an African country underrepresented in Wikipedia (for systemic biases in wikipedia in political science and African politics, see Michelitch and Ackerly, forthcoming and Michelitch and Wilfahrt, fortcoming). They will be supported by the Williams library as well as engage in peer review to produce notable, well-cited contributions to help address knowledge gaps on Wikipedia.