Politics of Development in Africa

Harvard FAS

This course is an introduction to the politics and political economy of development in modern Sub-Saharan Africa. Topics include the legacies of colonial rule, state formation, state failure and conflict, democratization and democratic erosion, corruption and political accountability, and the role of foreign aid. Readings draw from comparative politics, political economy, history, geography, and development economics. The course puts an emphasis on research design and evaluating causal…