States and power in Africa : comparative lessons in authority and control

Bibliographic Information

States and power in Africa : comparative lessons in authority and control

Jeffrey Herbst

(Princeton studies in international history and politics)

Princeton University Press, c2000

  • : cloth
  • : pbk

Available at  / 26 libraries

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Includes index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

: cloth ISBN 9780691010274

Description

Theories of international relations, assumed to be universally applicable, have failed to explain the creation of states in Africa. There, the interaction of power and space is dramatically different from what occurred in Europe. In his groundbreaking book, Jeffrey Herbst places the African state-building process in a truly comparative perspective, examining the problem of state consolidation from the precolonial period, through the short but intense interlude of European colonialism, to the modern era of independent states. Herbst's bold contention--that the conditions now facing African state-builders existed long before European penetration of the continent--is sure to provoke controversy, for it runs counter to the prevailing assumption that colonialism changed everything. In identifying how the African state-building process differs from the European experience, Herbst addresses the fundamental problem confronting African leaders: how to extend authority over sparsely settled lands. Indeed, efforts to exert control over vast, inhospitable territories of low population density and varied environmental and geographical zones have resulted in devastating wars, millions of refugees, and dysfunctional governments perpetrating destructive policies. Detailing the precise political calculations of distinct African leaders, Herbst isolates the basic dynamics of African state development. In analyzing how these leaders have attempted to consolidate power, he is able to evaluate a variety of policy alternatives for dealing with the fundamental political challenges facing African states today.

Table of Contents

Introduction 3 PART ONE: THE CHALLENGE OF STATE-BUILDING IN AFRICA 9 One The Challenge of State-Building in Africa 11 PART TWO: THE CONSTRUCTION OF STATES IN AFRICA 33 Two Power and Space in Precolonial Africa 35 Three The Europeans and the African Problem 58 Four The Political Kingdom in Independent Africa 97 PART THREE: NATIONAL DESIGN AND DOMESTIC POLITICS 137 Five National Design and the Broadcasting of Power 139 Six Chiefs, States, and the Land 173 PART FOUR: BOUNDARIES AND POWER 199 Seven The Coin of the African Realm 201 Eight The Politics of Migration and Citizenship 227 PART FIVE: CONCLUSION 249 Nine The Past and the Future of State Power in Africa 251 Index 273
Volume

: pbk ISBN 9780691010281

Description

Theories of international relations, assumed to be universally applicable, have failed to explain the creation of states in Africa. There, the interaction of power and space is dramatically different from what occurred in Europe. In his ground-breaking book, Jeffrey Herbst places the African state-building process in a truly comparative perspective, examining the problem of state consolidation from the precolonial period, through the short but intense interlude of European colonialism, to the modern era of independent states. Herbst's bold contention - that the conditions now facing African state-builders existed long before European penetration of the continent - is sure to provoke controversy, for it runs counter to the prevailing assumption that colonialism changed everything. In identifying how the African state-building process differs from the European experience, Herbst addresses the fundamental problem confronting African leaders: how to extend authority over sparsely settled lands. Indeed, efforts to exert control over vast, inhospitable territories of low population density and varied environmental and geographical zones have resulted in devastating wars, millions of refugees, and dysfunctional governments perpetrating destructive policies. Detailing the precise political calculations of distinct African leaders, Herbst isolates the basic dynamics of African state development. In analyzing how these leaders have attempted to consolidate power, he is able to evaluate a variety of policy alternatives for dealing with the fundamental political challenges facing African states today.

Table of Contents

Introduction 3 PART ONE: THE CHALLENGE OF STATE-BUILDING IN AFRICA 9 One The Challenge of State-Building in Africa 11 PART TWO: THE CONSTRUCTION OF STATES IN AFRICA 33 Two Power and Space in Precolonial Africa 35 Three The Europeans and the African Problem 58 Four The Political Kingdom in Independent Africa 97 PART THREE: NATIONAL DESIGN AND DOMESTIC POLITICS 137 Five National Design and the Broadcasting of Power 139 Six Chiefs, States, and the Land 173 PART FOUR: BOUNDARIES AND POWER 199 Seven The Coin of the African Realm 201 Eight The Politics of Migration and Citizenship 227 PART FIVE: CONCLUSION 249 Nine The Past and the Future of State Power in Africa 251 Index 273

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