Modern African Politics

PLS 550

Prerequisite: PLS 101

Course Description

Africa is a continent of both powerful traditions and great, ongoing transformations, and in this course we will explore both historical legacies that have shaped modern political Africa and the major transformations currently taking place on the continent.

Course Purpose

The purpose of this course will be both to introduce students to the study of African politics and to expose students more generally to the great diversity of peoples, ideas, cultures, and political practices found on the African continent. This course will expose students to the major issues currently debated by analysts of African politics and will attempt to help students develop a broader sense of the ways in which politics affects the millions of people who live on the African continent.