(All Rights Reserved)
DEPARTMENT OF
POLITICAL SCIENCE
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES
SEMESTER 1 – 2018/2019
ACADEMIC YEAR
COURSE SYLLABUS
POLI
449: Politics in Developing Countries - Western Africa (3-CREDITS)
Instructor: Dr. Hassan Wahab Office:
Political Science Department #13
Venue: Main Campus: Lectures:
Tues: 11:30am - 1:20pm
Venue: City Campus (New Block 23A) Lectures:
Weds: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Office
Hours: Mondays 10:00am – 12:00 pm OR by APPOINTMENT
Email: hwahab@ug.edu.gh
Course
Summary:
The focus of this course is
Western Africa, the westernmost region of the African continent. During the
course, we will try to understand the complexity, variety and fluidity of politics
in this part of the Africa. Perhaps more
than any other continent, politics are not always what they seem on the
surface; they vary tremendously from place to place; and they change sometimes
quickly and radically. While the course
focuses more heavily on the events of the last two decades, approximately one
quarter of the course delves into the political history of the precolonial,
colonial and independence eras.
Course
Objectives:
The course is organized around
four main sets of issues:
1) the
legacies of the past for African politics today;
2) the
economic challenges continuing to face Africa;
3) the
prospects for democracy in Africa; and,
4) Africa’s
relationship with other countries, donors, and NGOs.
Learning
Outcomes:
By the end of the course, I
expect students to not only learn about politics of developing countries-West
Africa, but also, I expect them to be able test our theories about democracy,
statebuilding, political economy, participation, citizenship, etc., and teach
us about other parts of the world and ourselves. Academic Honesty:
All University policies regarding
academic honesty will be strictly enforced. Plagiarism, cheating or academic
misconduct in any manner will not be tolerated.
While most examples of misconduct are blatantly obvious (i.e., you may
not pay someone to take your final exam for you!), knowing when and how to
acknowledge and appropriately cite sources is something you may have to
learn. For example, even if you acknowledge
the source, you cannot stay too close to the language of the original source
when paraphrasing. If you are not sure
about anything, please do not hesitate to see me, and we can go over it
together. I would encourage you to familiarize yourselves with the University’s
policy regarding academic misconduct. This policy is available at http://www.ug.edu.gh/aqau/policies-guidelines.
Students
with Special Needs:
Students with
special needs should register with the Office
of Students with Special Needs,
located in the University of Ghana Computing Services (UGCS) building, next to
the Student Financial Aid Office; Tel: +233-24-457-5177; E-mail: ossnug@gmail.com. Please contact me as
soon as possible so that appropriate accommodation can be arranged.
Assessment:
There will be TWO exams in this
course: (1) Interim Assessment, and (2) the Final Exams. The format for the
exams will be one or a combination of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blanks,
short essay, and long essay questions.
Interim
Assessment (IA): this will be an in-class exam on the eighth week of the
semester. The exam, worth 30% of the final grade, will be based on the content
of the readings, lectures, and discussions covered at that stage of the
course.
Final
Exam: Worth 70% of the final grade, this exam will be based on the content
of the readings, lectures, and discussions covered over the entire course.
Grading
Scale: Please refer to the Undergraduate Handbook
Disclaimer:
I reserve the right to change any readings, dates and requirements listed in
this syllabus. If this occurs, every
effort will be made to announce the changes well in advance. You are responsible for any changes made and
announced in class.
Course
Policies
Regular attendance is a key
determinant of success in this course and is required. While students are
expected, nay, required, to do their readings before they come to class, the
readings serve as a background, not as a substitute, for the lectures and class
discussions. Not only do I expect students to attend classes, I also expect
students to ask questions and participate in class discussions. I strongly
encourage students to ask questions during class. I will not entertain students
who come to me immediately after a class session to ask questions pertaining to
that class when they could have asked those questions during the class to the
benefit of all students. Before class begins, please turn off your cell phones,
MP3 players, etc. You may use laptops and tablets to take notes during class.
If you choose to do so, you MUST ask permission from me.
The use of cell phones in my
class is PROHIBITED. If your cell phones rings/vibrates up to three times in
class during the course of the semester, you will be asked to leave my class
for DISRUPTION. Additionally, please refrain from: frequently arriving late for
class; talking, sleeping, texting, or studying other materials in class; and
leaving class early. In general, please be polite and respectful to everyone in
this class. I reserve the right to apply appropriate sanctions for consistently
discourteous classroom behavior in accordance with the University of Ghana
policies.
During both the IA and final
examinations, please note that you may NOT be allowed to leave the examination
room until you have submitted your exam.
NOTE:
I have indicated my office hours above. Please respect that. I reserve the
right to NOT see any student who shows up in my office outside my office hours
and without appointment.
Required
Books:
1. Achebe,
Chinua.1988. A Man of the People. Random
House
2. Boahen,
Albert A. 1989. The Ghanaian Sphinx: Reflections on the Contemporary History of
Ghana, 1972-1987. Accra: Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Course
Reading and Class Schedule:
Week 1:
Introduction to the Course Readings:
Week
2: AFRICAN POLITICS BEFORE COLONIAL RULE: CLANS, CHIEFS, KINGS AND THE SLAVE
TRADE
Readings:
on pre-colonial political
organization:
Simiyu, V.G. 1988. “The
Democratic Myth in the African Traditional Societies.” In Walter Oloyugi and
E.S. Atieno Odhiemebo, eds., Democratic Theory and Practice in Africa.
Heinimann.
on the slave trade:
Schraeder, Peter. 2004. Short section entitled: “Early
Contacts with Europe and the Arab World” in “Political Economic Impacts of
Colonialism (1884-1951) in African Politics and Society, p. 49-57. on
implications of colonial view of indigenous African political systems:
Crowder, Michael. short section
entitled: “Pre-colonial Africa: The Myth and the Reality” in “Introduction” to
West Africa Under Colonial Rule. London: Hutchinson, p. 10-17.
Week
3: THE NATURE OF COLONIAL RULE IN AFRICA
Readings:
Herbst, Jeffrey. 2000. “The
Europeans and the African Problem.” In States and Power in Africa: Comparative
Lessons in Authority and Control. Princeton: Princeton University Press, p.
58-96.
Young, Crawford. 1994.
“Constructing Bula Matari.” In The African Colonial State in Comparative
Perspective. New Haven: Yale University Press, p. 124-133.
Week
4: LEGACIES OF COLONIALISM IN AFRICA
Readings due:
Ekeh, Peter P. 1975. “Colonialism
and the Two Publics in Africa: A Theoretical Statement.” Comparative Studies in
Society and History, vol. 17: p. 91-112.
Week
5: NATIONALIST POLITICS IN AFRICA
Readings:
Freund, Bill. 1998. “The Decolonization of Africa,
1940-1960.” In The Making of Contemporary Africa: The Development of African
Society Since 1800, Second Edition. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, p.
191-233.
J. Ade Ajayi, “Expectations of
Independence,” Daedalus 111/2 (Spring 1982), p. 1-9.
Week
6: INDEPENDENCE IN AFRICA: THE CASE OF GHANA
Readings:
“Ghana.”
Atlantic Monthly. May 1964. vol. 213, Issue 5, p. 28 (4 pages) Additional
Readings may be provided.
Week
7: POST-COLONIAL AFRICA: THE CREATION OF THE ONE-PARTY STATE Readings:
Zolberg, Aristide. Excerpts from “The Achievement of Unanimity”
(Chapter 3) and “The Creation of a New Institutional Order” (Chapter 4) p.
87-92; 93-98; and p. 122-127 in Creating Political Order: The Party-States of
West Africa. Chicago: RandMcNally, p. 66-127.
Week
8: POST COLONIAL AFRICA: THE POLITICS OF PERSONAL RULE
Readings:
Jackson, Robert and Carl Rosberg.
1984. “Personal Rule: Theory and Practice in Africa,” Comparative Politics 16
(4) July: p. 421-442.
Young, Crawford and Thomas Turner. 1985. “The Patrimonial
State and Personal Rule.” In The Rise and Decline of the Zairian State.
Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, p. 164-184.
McGowan, Patrick. J. 2003.
“African Military Coups D’etat, 1956-2001: Frequency, Trends and Distribution.
Journal of Modern African Studies. 41 (3) p. 339-372.
Week
8: INTERIM ASSESSMENT EXAMS
Week
9: COUPS AND MILITARY INTERVENTIONS
Readings:
Achebe, Chinua. A Man of the
People.
Boahen, Albert A. The Ghanaian
Sphinx
Week
10: THE POLITICS AND IMPACTS OF ECONOMIC REFORM AND WORLD BANK-LED DEVELOPMENT:
PROPONENTS AND CRITICS
Readings:
Collier, Paul and Jan Willem
Guinning. “Why Has Africa Grown Slowly?” Journal of Economic Perspectives 13
(3) (Summer 1999), p. 3-22.
World Bank. 1994. “Why Africa Had to Adjust.” From
Adjustment in Africa: Reforms, Results and the Road Ahead: Summary. Washington:
World Bank.
Gyimah-Boadi, E. 1995. “Ghana:
Adjustment, State Rehabilitation and Democratization.” In Thandika Mkandawire
and Adebayo Olukoshi, eds., Between Liberalisation and Oppression: The Politics
of Structural Adjustment in Africa. Dakar: CODESRIA, p. 217-229.
Nicholas D. Kristof. “You, Too, Can Be a Banker to the
Poor.” New York Times, March 27, 2007, p. A19.
“Microfinance: Time to Take the
Credit.” The Economist, March 17, 2007, p. 16.
Boafo-Arthur, Kwame. 1999.
“Ghana: Structural Adjustment, Democratization, and the Politics of
Continuity.” African Studies Review, 42 (2), pp. 41-72.
Week
11: DEMOCRATIC TRANSITIONS AND CONSOLIDATION?
Readings:
Widner, Jennifer. 1994.
“Political Reform in Anglophone and Francophone African Countries.” In Jennifer
Widner, ed, Economic Change and Political Liberalization in Africa. Baltimore:
Johns Hopkins University Press.
Schaffer, Frederic. 1998. Democracy in Translation:
Understanding Politics in an Unfamiliar Culture. Ithaca: Cornell University Press
(chapter 5, p. 116-138). van de Walle, Nicolas. 2002. “African’s Range of
Regimes: Elections without Democracy.” Journal of Democracy, vol. 13, no. 2, p.
66-80.
Gyimah-Boadi, E. 1999. “Ghana: The Challenge of
Consolidating Democracy.” In Richard Joseph, ed., State, Conflict and Democracy
in Africa. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Dennis Galvan. 2001. “Political
Turnover and Social Change in Senegal.” Journal of Democracy, vol. 12, no. 3,
p. 51-62.
Week
12: CIVIL SOCIETY AND DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA
Readings:
Gyimah-Boadi, E. 2004. “Civil
Society and Democratic Development.” In E. Gyimah-Boadi, ed., Democratic Reform
in Africa: The Quality of Progress. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers
Week
13: THE POLITICS NON-STATE PROVISION AND STATE PROVISION OF WELFARE IN AFRICA
Readings:
MacLean, Lauren M. 2010. “The
Paradox of State Retrenchment in sub-Saharan Africa: The Micro-Level Experience
of Public Social Service Provision.” World Development, vol. 39, no. 7, pp. 1155-1165.
Cammett, Melani C. and Lauren M.
MacLean. 2011. “Introduction: the Political Consequences of Non-state Social
Welfare in the Global South.” Studies in Comparative International Development,
vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 1-21.
Carbone, Giovani. 2011. Democratic
Demands and Social Policies: the Politics of Health Reform in Ghana. Journal of
Modern African Studies, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 381-408
Week
14: REVISION
Week
15: FINAL EXAMS
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