Friday 29 September 2017

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LISTS- POLI 459: DECENTRALIZATION AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE




DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA

FIRST SEMESTER 2017/2018 ACADEMIC YEAR

POLI 459: DECENTRALIZATION AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LIST


LECTURER: PROF. EMMANUEL DEBRAH

Office: K. Folson Building, Political Science Department, University of Ghana, Legon
Email: ekdebrah@ug.edu.gh
Mobile: 0208132486
Lecture Time: Friday 9:30am – 11:20am
Venue: JQB 23



Course Title
Decentralization and Local Governance

Course Code
POLI 459

Purpose and Objective
Course Description and Objectives:

The emphasis on governance at the grassroots/local level has given impetus to local government administration. Ghana’s experience with local government administration predates colonial rule, but since independence local government has become an important component of the developmental process. The course begins by exploring generic concepts of decentralization as analytical tools to explain the significance of local government administration in Ghana. It delineates the various facets of Ghana’s local government administration and configures their impact on the development process. It also identifies and explains the obstacles that impair local government administration and recommends measures to overcome them.
  For the purpose of assessment, student will be examined in two phases. An interim assessment that will be taken at the middle of the semester will constitute 30% of final grade.  At the end of the semester, students will take a final examination that will constitute 70% of their final grade.



Week No.
Lecture Topics

Venue
1
Conceptualizing Decentralization
JQB.23
2
Conceptualizing Local Government  
3&4
Central-Local Government Relations in Ghana
5&6
Historical Trajectories of Local Government Administration in Ghana      
7&8
Chieftaincy and Local Government in Ghana
9&10
. Local Government in the 4th Republic: the District Assemblies, etc
11&12
Local Government Financing in Ghana – Source of Revenue, Budget, uses and constraints
13
Course Review and Evaluation
14
Revision and Examination





READINGS

J.R.A. Ayee, Anatomy of Public Policy Implementation, Aldershot, England, 1994.

Philip Mawhood (ed.) Local Government in the Third World: The Experience of Decentralization in Tropical Africa, African Institute of South Africa, 1993.

Paul Nugent Africa Since Independence: A Comparative History Palgrave MaCmillan, New York, 2004.

Irene K Odotei and Albert K. Awedoba (eds) Chieftaincy in Ghana: Culture, Governance and Development, Sub-Saharan Publishers, Accra, 2006.

K.A. Busia, The Position of the Chief in Modern Political System of Ashanti, Frank Cass, London, 1968.

Debrah, E. ‘Assessing the quality of accountability in Ghana’s district assemblies, 1993 – 2008’ African Journal of Political Science and International Relations 3 (6), pp. 278-287, June, 2009.

J. R. A Ayee, ‘The Measurement of Decentralization: The Ghanaian Experience, 1988-92’, African Affairs 95, 1996: 31-50.

Republic of Ghana, Constitution of the 4th Republic, 1992.

Republic of Ghana, Local Government Act 462, 1993.

.Republic of Ghana, District Assemblies’ Common Fund Act (Act 455).


Tuesday 5 September 2017

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING LISTS - POLI 441 THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT SINCE INDEPENDENCE





DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA



POLI 441: The Political Economy of Africa’s Development since Independence
1st Semester, 2017/2018

Lecturer: Dr. Seidu  M. Alidu                                                 
Office: Room 12 Political Science Dept.
e-mail: seidualidu@gmail.com                                
Venue: JQB 23
Time: Mondays 9:30 – 11:20                               
           Wednesday 11:30 – 1:20                                                             


Course Title
The Political Economy of Africa’s Development since Independence

Course Code
POLI 441

Course Overview

This course introduces students to the interaction between politics and economics and its implication for Africa’s development.  It will examine both domestic and international forces that influence Africa’s development since independence, the continent’s response to these developmental challenges and the contending theories that shaped those responses.




Outcomes

It is expected that students will be able to identify and discuss the different theories that underpin the International Political Economy and apply them to the various developmental challenges of Africa and other parts of the world in similar circumstances.  




Week No.
Lecture Course
Reading List
      1
The Nature of Political Economy
Ravenhill, J. (ed.) (2005) Global Political Economy, Oxford: Oxford University Press, (Part One, pp. 3 – 47)

 Jackson, R.  and Sorensen, G. (2003) Introduction to International Relations Theories and Approaches, Oxford: Oxford University Press (Chp. 8, International Political Economy: Contemporary Debates).

Oatley, T. (2008) International Political Economy: Interests and Institutions in the Global Economy, Third Edition, New York: Pearson Education, Inc. (Chp. 1: International Political Economy, pp. 2 – 21)
O’Brien, R. and Williams, M. (2004) Global Political Economy: Evolution and Dynamics, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, (Chp. 1, Understanding the Global Political Economy, pp. 11 – 36)
        2&3
Development Strategy in Historical Perspective
Chang, H.-J. (2005) Kicking Away the Ladder: Developing Strategy in Historical Perspective, London: Anthem Press (Chapter 1, “Introduction: How did the Rich Countries Really Rich?,” pp. 1 – 9)

Wade, R. H. (2003) Governing the Market: Economic Theory and the role of Government in East Asia’s Industrialization, Princeton: Princeton University Press (“Introduction”)

Bardhan, P. (1993) “Symposium on Democracy and Development” Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 45-49

Nye, J. (1991) “The Myth of Free-Trade Britain and Fortress France: Tariffs and Trade in the Nineteenth Century” Journal of Economic History, Vol. 53, No.1, pp. 23-46

Soludo, C., Obgu, O., and Chang, H-J., (eds.) (2004) The Politics of Trade and Industrial Policy in Africa: Forced Consensus? Trenton: Africa World Press, Inc

Altenberg, T., (2011) Industrial Policy in Developing Countries: Overview and Lessons from Seven country Cases, German Development Institute Discussion Paper, No. 4/2011

Yulek, M., (2015) Economic Planning and Industrial Policy in the Globalizing Economy: Concepts, Experiences and Prospects. New York: Springer


        4&5
Theoretical Approaches and Contending Perspectives in IPE

Ravenhill, J. (ed) (2005) Global Political Economy, Oxford: Oxford University Press, (Part One, pp. 3 – 47)
           
O’Brien, R. and Williams, M. (2004) Global Political Economy: Evolution and Dynamics, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, (Chp. 1, Understanding the Global Political Economy, pp. 11 – 36)
 Jackson, R.  and Sorensen, G. (2003) Introduction to International Relations Theories and Approaches, Oxford: Oxford University Press (Chp. 6, International Political Economy Theories (IPE): Classical Theories, pp. 175 – 193;  Chp. 8, International Political Economy: Contemporary Debates).

Oatley, T. (2008) International Political Economy: Interests and Institutions in the Global Economy, Third Edition, New York: Pearson Education, Inc. (Chp. 1: International Political Economy, pp. 2 – 21)
         6&7
Political Economy of Social Assistance in Africa
Awortwi, N., and Remi Aiyede, E. (2017) Politics, Public Policy and Social Protection in Africa: Evidence from Cash Transfer Programmes, Oxon: Routledge

Barrientos, A. (2013) Social Assistance in Developing Countries, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Adesina, J.O. (2011) “Beyond the Social Protection Paradigm: Social Policy in Africa’s Development.” Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 32(4), 454-470

Abebrese J. (2012) Social Protection in Ghana: An Overview of Existing Programmes and their Prospects and Challenges Friedrich Egbert Stiftung 
Devereux, S., and Sabates-Wheeler, R. (2004). Transformative Social Protection. Vol. 232. University of Sussex, Institute of Development Studies, 2004. P. 1
PASGR. (2013) ‘Political Economy of Universal Social Protection Policy Uptake in Africa.’ Draft Research Framework Paper. Nairobi: PASGR.
      8&9
Globalization and Africa’s Development  
  •  Wolf, M.  (2004) Why Globalization Works, New Haven: Yale University Press (Chp. 2, What Liberal Globalization Means, pp. 13 – 22; Chp.7, Globalization in the Long Run, pp. 96 – 105)   

  • Stiglitz, J. E.  (2002)  Globalization and its Discontents, New York: W.W. Norton and Company (Chp. 9, The Way Ahead, pp. 214 – 252)

  • Wade, R. (2005) “Globalization, Poverty and Inequality” in Ravenhill, J. (ed)   Global Political Economy, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  • Boafo-Arthur, K. (2003) “Tackling Africa’s Developmental Dilemmas: Is Globalization the Answer?” Journal of Third World Studies, Vol. XX, No. 1, Spring, pp. 27 – 54
        10&11
Responses to Africa’s Economic Quandary

·         .Continental Response
  •  Callaghy, T.M. and Ravenhill, J.  (eds.) (1993) Hemmed In: Responses to Africa’s Economic Decline, New York: Columbia University Press (Introduction “Vision, Politics and Structure: Afro-Optimism, Afro-Pessimism, or Reality”)

  • Chang, H. (2005) Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical Perspective, London: Anthem Press (Chp. 3, Institutions and Economic Development: “Good Governance” in Historical Perspective, pp. 69 – 110) 

  • Sen, A.  (1999) Development as Freedom, Oxford: Oxford University Press, (Chp. 1, The Perspective of Freedom, pp. 13 – 34; Chp. 2, The Ends and Means of Development, pp.  35 – 53

·         The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (www.nepad.org.)
       12&13
Responses to Africa’s Economic Quandary

·         International Response
·         The Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals (www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/mdgoverview.html)

·         The Sustainable Development Goals
(http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/)
14
REVISION









Grading: There will be one end of semester examination and one mid-term or interim assessment (IA) which will be 30% of your final grade, while the final exam will make up 70% of the final grade of 100%. Details will be given at lectures. As a matter of course, the exam will cover class and assigned readings and class discussions.

 Note: Academic Dishonesty will not be tolerated in this class. (See Student Handbook for penalties).