African political systems will stress both thermatic and 
methodological approaches to the study of politics in several 
African countries.  Themes that will be covered include:
Political institutions, political culture, and political development.
The course will also employ the comparative method to analyze the
similarities and differences in the politics of African countries.
The main theme of comparison will be the quality of democracy and
democratic institutions in Africa.

African Political Systems will address the folling topics:
Colonialism and colonial legacy; political institutions (such
as political parties, the military, and the state bureaucy);
Africa's traditional political culture and post-independent 
politics; political leadership and its impact on African 
development; democratic transition and consolidation in Africa
in the post-cold war era.