POLI 247 - African Politics

This course will help you answer questions about politics and economics in Sub-Saharan Africa. For example: Why have the “artificial” borders of African states hardly changed since independence? Why do many new African democracies revert to authoritarianism? Why is poverty so widespread in Africa? By the end of the semester, students who invest an honest effort in the assignments and actively participate in class will be able to: describe political institutions and behaviors in diverse African contexts; use social scientific methods to propose explanations for variation in outcomes such as democracy, war, and economic growth; evaluate and critique arguments about African politics in popular discourse; and enter into conversations with professionals in a variety of fields, including government, international NGOs, and academia. Prerequisite(s): POLI 140 is recommended as a prerequisite. (4 Credits)