Publisher's Synopsis
Comparative studies of eight diverse African countries that provide a new conceptual framework for analysis of the state in Africa. The African State: Reconsiderations transcends current thinking on the nature of the state and its role in transforming the fortunes of the continent. It proposes a conceptual and historical framework that allows for a more complex, but concrete and integrated, analysis of the African state. Leader, regime, administration, and commonwealth provide the four key factors for identification of state types in Africa. Different combinations of these factors produce various types of states that range from Botswana's relatively integral political system to the "cadaverous" Somali state. In addition to case studies of Botswana and Somalia, other states examined in this collection include Ethiopia, Ghana, Libya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Sudan. All of the book's contributors are African scholars who have done substantial scholarly works on their respective countries.;More than ever before, the editors and contributors to this collection argue, the African state is essential for the sustainability of the long march towards political, economic, and cultural development. The essays in this book provide practical ways of assessing reform programs that are intended to enhance state effectiveness. As such, this book will be of great value not only to scholars, but also to policy makers and others concerned with the construction of a positive future for the African continent.
