Democracy and Development

On a continent once dominated by closed political systems, democratic political institutions have taken root in more than a dozen African countries over the past 20 years. In this course, you’ll learn about this remarkable experiment, and try to better understand both the opportunities and the challenges of democratic governance.

We have interviewed more than 50 African academics, politicians, leaders, and students about how democracy works, and in this course, we provide opportunities to learn from these various African experts.

Each week, MIT Professor Evan Lieberman will introduce key topics in the study of democratic development in Africa, and highlight key ideas and insights from various African colleagues. Students will gain a solid introduction to African political development using analytical tools from the social sciences.

The course is for anyone interested in gaining a better understanding of African politics; learning about relationship between democratic politics and the attainment of improved human development; and/or obtaining an introduction to political science approaches to these topics.

What you'll learn

• Impact of slavery, colonial rule, and geography on contemporary political and economic development.
• How various democratic institutional designs are being used in African democracies, and the ways they shape society.
• How to understand the identities and interests of African citizens, and how those get articulated in democratic polities.
• The workings of the judiciary, and the innovative ways the justice system expands human rights in African democracies
• Develop an overall picture of the major challenges and opportunities in African states, and the strategic ways citizens, governments, and civil society are working towards developing better functioning states and communities.