ABSTRACT

The sixth edition of Africa in World Politics focuses on challenges African states face in constructing viable political economies in contexts both of familiar domestic challenges and an unprecedented mix of engagements, opportunities, and threats emanating from a turbulent and rapidly changing international order. This text, including new chapters on Nigeria and the influence of party politics on economic development, remains an invaluable resource for students of African politics seeking to navigate the continent's complex political and economic landscapes. Revised chapters consider both the extent and the limits of continued healthy growth rates in many countries; the impacts of investments by China and other BRICS countries; plateaus and some reversals in progress on human rights and democratization; dimensions of chronic state weakness deepened by insurgencies, including some that are connected to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State; and peacebuilding efforts struggling to uphold responsible sovereignty in the Sudans, the Great Lakes region, and elsewhere.

part 1|26 pages

The Contemporary Context in Historical Perspective

chapter 1|6 pages

Constructing Political and Economic Order

ByJohn W. Harbeson

chapter 2|18 pages

The Heritage of Colonialism

ByCrawford Young

part 2|105 pages

Building Viable Political Economies

part 3|84 pages

In Search of Elusive State Reconstruction

chapter 8|21 pages

The International Factor in African Warfare

ByWilliam Reno

chapter 10|26 pages

Instability in the Great Lakes Region

ByFilip Reyntjens

chapter 11|15 pages

Boko Haram and Nigeria State Weakness

ByJohn Campbell

part 4|109 pages

Engaging the International Community Anew