Inside African Politics

“A comprehensive, scholarly, and readable guide to (mostly) post-1990 Africa. Highly recommended.” ―Choice

“Englebert and Dunn have produced what will no doubt become the standard text for years to come: a sharply written, well-informed, and completely up-to-date book that should find a wide audience beyond the classroom, as well.” ―Nicolas van de Walle, Foreign Affairs

“A superior textbook. Inside African Politics will appeal to undergraduates looking for an introduction to African politics, as well as to graduate students searching for broad theoretical discussions.” ―Ngonidzashe Munemo, Williams College

“A comprehensive tour d’horizon of African politics, as well as an incisive review of existing scholarship. Inside African Politics is destined to become a standard reference for teaching and research.” ―Michael Bratton, Michigan State University

This state-of-the-art introduction to contemporary African politics has been carefully designed to provide not only thorough coverage of the full range of core topics, but also an awareness and understanding of key theoretical issues and controversies.

Drawing on their extensive teaching and fieldwork experiance, Pierre Englebert and Kevin Dunn offer:
-A straightforward, accessible style, making even complex ideas easy to understand
-A balanced approach, exposing multiple perspectives on contested issues
-A focus on both states and citizens, politics from above and below
-Discussions of existing policies, as well as policy implications of different approaches
-An abundance of rich data and illustrative examples.

The authors also highlight the contributions of African experiences to broader knowledge in the areas of comparative politics and international relations. Their book will serve both as an essential test and as a long term resource for students and scholars alike.

CONTENTS:

• Why Study African Politics?
• The Evolution of African States.
• People, Identity, and Politics.
• The Practice of Power.
• An Increasing Range of Regimes.
• The Economic Dimensions of African Politics. The Shifting Landscape of Conflict and Security.
• International Relations Near and Far.

Pierre Englebert is H. Russell Smith Professor of International Relations at Pomona College, as well as senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Africa Center. Kevin C. Dunn is Donald R. Harter Professor of political science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.