This comprehensive treatment of the interplay between domestic and international politics analyzes efforts by African states to manage their external relations amid seismic shifts in the internal, regional, and global environments. The authors' nuanced analysis of foreign policy issues and themes traverses the continent, identifying patterns of change, examining constraints, and giving careful    More >

At the center of many of Africa's violent conflicts are movements that do not seem to fit any established theories of armed resistance. African Guerrillas offers new models for understanding these movements, eschewing one-dimensional explanations.

The authors build on—and in some cases debate—insights provided in Christopher Clapham's groundbreaking work.    More >

These essays are the work of two scholars who have been closely associated with the field of African studies and with one another for more than three decades. During this period, each in his own way dissented from formulations associated with modernization and functionalist theories, which were pervasive when they began their studies. In major books, Sklar explored the political implications of    More >

This original work examines three potential options for increasing state security in contemporary Africa: regional military groupings, private security companies, and a continent-wide, professional peacekeeping force.

Howe explores these alternatives within the larger context of why African militaries have proven incapable of handling new types of insurgency; how the failed intervention in    More >

Can a stable political order be established in Liberia in the aftermath of the collapse of governance and a horrendous period of pillage and carnage? Amos Sawyer argues that the task can indeed be accomplished—but only in the context of new constitutional arrangements and governing institutions that differ markedly from those of the past.

Sawyer draws deeply on his    More >

Tackling a fundamental question in the study of contemporary African politics, Borders, Nationalism, and the African State systematically and comparatively examines the impact of colonial borders on the intertwined trajectories of ethnic conflict and state development.

The authors combine case studies (Congo, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and Sudan) with thematic chapters to    More >

Why are productive, development-supporting relations between business and government still so rare in Africa? Scott Taylor addresses this question, examining state-business coalitions as they emerge, and endure or collapse, in three representative countries: Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

Taylor illuminates three possible trajectories: an abortive state-business coalition, as in    More >

Although China denies that it harbors ambitions to become a superpower, its leadership has made clear its intention that the country be a major player in the global arena. Against this backdrop,  Ian Taylor explores the nature and implications of China’s burgeoning role in Africa.

This seminal book examines the potential value of the concept of civil society for enhancing the current understanding of state-society relations in Africa. The authors review the meanings of civil society in political philosophy, as well as alternative theoretical approaches to employing the concept in African settings. Considering both the patterns of emerging civil society in Africa and issues    More >

The collapse of states—a phenomenon that goes far beyond rebellion or the change of regimes to involve the literal implosion of structures of authority and legitimacy—has until now received little scholarly attention, despite the fact that a number of states have actually ceased to exist as entities in the aftermath of the collapse of the dominant international system.

The authors    More >

Is Nigeria, with its vast wealth in both human and natural resources, on the path to realizing its enormous potential? Or is it in danger of becoming a failed state? Crafting the New Nigeria considers the challenges that the country's leadership now faces, offering rich—and sobering—analyses of Nigeria's current political and economic systems.    More >

After more than a decade of reform efforts in Africa, much of the optimism over the continent's prospects has been replaced by widespread "Afropessimism." But to what extent is either view well founded? Democratic Reform in Africa plumbs the key issues in the contemporary African experience—including intrastate conflict, corruption, and the development of civil    More >

Both the obstacles to governance and the opportunities for democratization confronted in East Africa—with its geostrategic importance, porous borders, governments heavily dependent on foreign aid, and some of Africa's longest running conflicts—provide valuable insights into how good governance policies can be implemented effectively throughout the developing world. East Africa and    More >

From the ongoing war in Angola, to sporadic instability in Zimbabwe and Lesotho, to the conflict in Congo, to issues of land reform and the ravages of AIDS, southern Africa faces varied and complex threats to its peace and security. The authors of From Cape to Congo assess the region's major security challenges, as well as the roles of local, regional, and external actors in managing them. Their    More >

Jonathan Hill explores the multiple causes of two decades of profound political change, social and economic upheaval, and bitter conflict in postindependence Algeria.

Hill focuses on the relationship between identity and sociopolitical stability as he examines the trajectory of Algerian nation building.  How did French colonization and the war of    More >

Japan’s navy, after that of the United States, is now the most potent in the Pacific Ocean. This book examines the development and potential of the Japanese navy in the context of the U.S.–Japan alliance.

Woolley presents Japan’s coming of age as a military—primarily naval—power in a series of case studies on sea-lane defense, minesweeping, and participation in UN    More >

Tracing the trajectory of postcolonial politics, Makau Mutua maps the political forces that have shaped contemporary Kenya. He also critically explores efforts on the part of both civil society and the political opposition to reform the state. Analyzing the tortuous efforts since independence to create a sustainable, democratic state, he uses the struggle over constitutional reform as a window    More >

The vitality and significance of parliaments in the Arab world is one of the essential—but overlooked—stories of political life in the 1990s. Baaklini, Denoeux, and Springborg present the first comprehensive, comparative analysis of modern Arab legislatures.

Drawing on their extensive experience as both scholars and project consultants, the authors Yemen). Their work is of    More >

Why have some decentralization reforms led to viable systems of local governance in Africa, while others have failed? Exploring this question, the authors outline the key issues involved, provide historical context, and identify the factors that have encouraged or discouraged success.

Detailed studies of seven African states are grounded in a common analytical framework, one    More >

Although governance has been the focus of a considerable body of literature on democratic transitions and consolidation, data to support the claim that the concept is a useful one has been lacking. Now, however, Making Sense of Governance clearly shows the utility of research on governance, presenting empirical evidence from sixteen developing countries.

The authors    More >

Questions of identity and ethnicity have always been part of the intricate web of politics in the Arab World, but the recent expansion of political participation has made these issues more political, more visible, and more acute. This book offers a comprehensive discussion of minorities and ethnic politics in eight Arab countries. Focusing on the strategic political choices made by minorities,    More >

Why do national patterns of Internet expansion differ so greatly throughout Africa? To what extent do politics trump technology? Who are the "information champions" in the various African states? Addressing these and related questions, Negotiating the Net in Africa explores the politics, economics, and technology of Internet diffusion across the continent.

The    More >

Enthusiastically embraced by African presidents, G-7 leaders, and the UN General Assembly alike, the New Partnership for Africa's Development has been advanced as the vehicle that will vitalize the continent's economies. Ian Taylor critically explores just what Nepad is, and what potential it has—or lacks—for promoting African development.

At a time when multiparty reforms were sweeping the globe, Uganda opted for a controversial, no-party democratic model. The country’s politics over the past two decades thus provide an extraordinary opportunity for addressing the many questions—theoretical, empirical, and comparative—that the notion of a no-party system of elected government raises. Carbone’s analysis of    More >

Long before the September 11 attacks galvanized Western attention on what has variously been called political Islam, Islamic fundamentalism, and Islamism, African nations with sizeable Muslim populations were experiencing significant transformations in the relationship between religion and state. Political Islam in West Africa explores those ongoing transformations in key countries of the    More >

Recognized as the textbook on African politics, as well as an excellent resource for scholars, Politics and Society in Contemporary Africa analyzes the complexities and diversities of the African continent since independence.

The authors provide a basic knowledge of political events; political structures, processes, problems, and trends; political economy; and international    More >

Choice Outstanding Academic Book!

The fourteen countries in west and equatorial Africa that formed the heart of what was once France's African colonial empire?all independent now for more than four decades?still retain French as an official language, remain attached to French culture, and maintain political links with France. Each country, however, has developed its    More >

Making a case for the regional distinctiveness of southern Africa, this new text systematically examines politics and society in the region.

The authors first introduce the themes and concepts that guide their analysis. Then, in each of eight country studies, they trace the country's political history (beginning with the precolonial period) and analyze state structures, political and social    More >

Libya's enigmatic Muammar Qaddafi has demonstrated a perhaps unprecedented capacity for reinvention and survival, particularly in the realm of foreign policy. Yehudit Ronen traces Libya's sometimes tortuous trajectory in international affairs across the four decades of Qaddafi's leadership.

Ronen addresses a range of critical issues: oil politics, foreign military adventurism, WMDs,    More >

In this analysis of South Africa's postapartheid security system, Peter Vale moves beyond a realist discussion of interacting states to examine southern Africa as an integrated whole.

Vale argues that, despite South Africa's manipulation of state structures and elites in the region for its own ends, the suffering endured under the apartheid regime drew the region together at the    More >

The site of genocide in Rwanda, recurrent cycles of communal massacre, deepening poverty, state fragmentation, and massive displacement of civilians, is Africa's Great Lakes region finally moving away from decades of decay and destruction, or is it fated to remain mired in interminable strife? The authors of Security Dynamics in Africa's Great Lakes Region explore the sources of conflict    More >

Sierra Leone's bitter experience with civil war garnered international attention only after the May 1997 coup, though the conflict between the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and successive governments has raged for at least a decadeagainst the backdrop of more than three decades of progressive state collapse. John Hirsch traces Sierra Leone's downward spiral, drawing on his first-hand    More >

Now Available in Paperback!

This seminal volume explores the most important dimensions of state formation and erosion, social conflict, and the gains and setbacks in democratization in contemporary Africa. The results of nearly a decade of research, reflection, and collegial interaction, the collection delineates the dominant patterns of political restructuring since the upheavals of the early 1990s.

The trend toward subnationalist autonomy—and away from the development of singular, state-centric political systems based on the Western model—is one of the most striking phenomena in Africa today. Joshua Forrest analyzes the expansion of ethnic subnationalist movements in the postcolonial period, the reasons behind their growth, and their implications for African    More >

Embroiled in civil war since independence, Sudan has also suffered from the failure of both regional and international actors to fully come to terms with the scope of the complex issues involved. Sudan: The Elusive Quest for Peace contributes to a fuller understanding of those issues, exploring the factors that have contributed to the conflict from the days following independence to the    More >

Why did the democratic experiment launched in the Republic of Congo in 1991 fail so dramatically in 1997? Why has it not been seriously resumed since then? In tackling these complex questions, John Clark provides a thorough analysis of more than fifteen years of Congolese politics.

Clark explores a series of logical hypotheses regarding why democracy failed to take root in    More >

The Making of Contemporary Africa provides a succinct introduction to the history of modern Africa, incorporating a refreshing reinterpretation of developments in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as a critical appraisal of the best scholarship of recent years.

This second edition is fully updated, with two new chapters focusing on the revolutionary process in southern    More >

Why do some African states commit more effectively than others to the fight against AIDS? How do power inequalities and decisionmaking institutions shape Africa's ability to combat the disease? Within the context of debates about the nature of the African state, its relations with civil society, and its reliance on external donors, Amy Patterson presents a systematic study of African state efforts    More >

Since 1986, Nigeria has been struggling without success to return to a civilian, democratic form of government: as political parties, presidential candidates, economic reform programs, and top military officers have come and gone, the country has become mired in an authoritarian limbo, a transition without end. This wide-ranging study examines the rise and fall of democratic transition and    More >

Was South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) a "miracle" that depended on the unique leadership of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu? Or does it provide a working model for other traumatized nations? Addressing these questions, Lyn Graybill explores the political origins, theological underpinnings, and major achievements of the world's most ambitious truth    More >

Thoroughly updated to reflect recent events and trendsincluding Africa and the war on terror, progress and problems in democratization, advances by women in politics, developments in the fight against AIDS, the growing influence of China, the establishment of the African Union, and much more—this new edition of Understanding Contemporary Africa treats the range of issues facing the    More >

Among the world's most unstable regions, West Africa in the last decade has experienced a web of conflicts with profound and wide-ranging effects. West Africa's Security Challenges is the first comprehensive assessment of the resulting mix of setbacks and progress.

The authors provide a context for understanding the region's security dilemmas, highlighting the link between    More >

The long-running conflict over the sovereignty of Western Sahara has involved all the states of northwest Africa and many beyond since Spain ceded the territory to Morocco and Mauritania in 1976. Erik Jensen traces the evolution of the conflict—from its colonial roots to its present manifestation as a political stalemate.

Jensen reviews the history of the dispute, describes the quest by    More >

Working together across religious, ethnic, and class divisions, African women are helping to formulate legislation and foster democracies more inclusive of womens' interests. Women in African Parliaments explores this phenomenon, examining the impact and experiences of African women as they seek increased representation in national legislatures.

The authors' carefully    More >