Comparative Politics and Development is a 60-hour (9 cfu) course taught between January and March. Lectures take place in Via Conservatorio on Mondays (room 27), Tuesdays (room 13) and Wednesdays (room 2) from 8.30 to 10.30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The course aims at examining the politics of developing areas through the lenses of comparative political analysis. It draws primarily on concepts and theories used in the contemporary study of politics in advanced economies, including well-established works on the state, on political regimes, and on specific political institutions and processes. The course also adds to the above issues a more specific focus on aspects of politics that are more commonly associated with developing and emerging countries, such as authoritarian rule, civil conflicts, ethnic politics and corruption. The empirical focus is primarily on sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lectures<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nNote: while slides and other class material constitute essential study material for the final test, the other links are mere suggestions and curiosities about different issues the course touches upon<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Development: key notions and issues<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Development: measurement\n
\n- GDP’s days are numbered<\/a> (Diane Coyle, 2021)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Poor numbers<\/a> (Morten Jerven, 2014)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Human Development Index (HDI)<\/a> (by Max Roser, OurWorldInData, 2023)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Index<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- World Happiness Report<\/a> (World Happiness Report, 2025)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How the WB measures poverty<\/a> (OurWorldInData, 11 August 2025)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Development: theories\n
\n- The facts of economic growth<\/a> (Charles Jones, 2015)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Development: aid\n
\n- The old aid model is dead. Now comes the fight over what replaces it<\/a> (Raj Kumar, DevEx.com<\/em>, 16 January 2026)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Unveiling the aid cuts: between chaos and power shifts. Rethinking the aid model with Katri Bertram<\/a> (DevelopmentAid.org, 2025)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Does development aid actually work? In conversation with Stefan Dercon<\/a> (podcast, 2022)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Development in Africa: introduction\n
\n- The danger of a single story<\/a> (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2009)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to write about Africa<\/a> (Binyavanga Wainaina<\/a>, Granta<\/em>, 2005)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Spot the Africa<\/a> (The Daily Show<\/em>, 2014)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Nicolas Sarkozy and the African man<\/a> (The Dakar Speech, 2007)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- What is sub-Saharan Africa?<\/a> (The Economist<\/em>, 7 March 2019)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Development in Africa: “growth tragedy” (1960-2000)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Development in Africa: emerging Africa (2000-14)\n
\n- A manufacturing renaissance in Africa?<\/a> (H.Kruse, E.Mensah, K.Sen, G.de Vries, UNIDO 2021)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Industrial policy makes a comeback in Africa<\/a> (Brookings, M.Walter 2021)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Reducing Africa’s reliance on commodities<\/a> (The Economi<\/em>st, 8 Jan. 2022)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Development in Africa: current scenario (2015-26)\n
\n- Centre for the Study of African Economies (CSAE)<\/a> (University of Oxford)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How Africa\u2019s \u2018ticket\u2019 to prosperity fueled a debt bomb<\/a> (Reuters<\/em>, 1 August 2024)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Development in Africa \u2013 Ghana<\/strong>\n
\n- Ghana to default on most external debt<\/a> (Reuters<\/em>, December 2022)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ghana’s cocoa farmers are unpaid<\/a> (Reuters, 20 January 2026)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The state in Africa\n
\n- A phantom state in the heart of Africa<\/a> (Tom Gardner, The Economist<\/em>, 24 September 2024)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Critical perspectives: Keep out of Africa<\/a> (Marina Ottaway, Carnegie 1999), Give war a chance<\/a> (E.Luttwak, Foreign Affairs<\/em> 1999), Let them fail<\/a> (Jeffrey Herbst, in R.Rotberg, When states fail<\/em>, 2004), The case for colonialism<\/a> (Bruce Gilley, 2017)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The state in Africa \u2013 Somalia<\/strong>\n
\n- Reclaiming Al Shabaab\u2019s revenue<\/a> (Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, 27 March 2023)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Israel become first country to recognise Somaliland<\/a> (Al Jazeera<\/em>, 26 December 2025)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The state in Africa \u2013 Congo<\/strong>\n
\n- The horrific consequences of rubber’s toxic past<\/a> (BBC, 24 July 2019)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A guide to the decades-long conflict in DR Congo<\/a> (Al Jazeera<\/em>, 4 February 2025)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- A renewed EU Great Lakes Region Strategy<\/a> (Council of the EU 2023)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Civil wars\n
\n- Peace Research Institute Oslo<\/a> (PRIO)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project<\/a> (ACLED)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Global Conflict Tracker<\/a> (Council on Foreign Relations)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Civil wars \u2013 Ethiopia<\/strong>\n
\n- Conflict in Ethiopia<\/a> (Council on Foreign Relations, 2025)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ethiopia, Eritrea and Tigray: A powder keg in the Horn<\/a> (International Crisis Group, 2026)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ethnic politics\n
\n- Dismantling Magufuli\u2019s ethnic politics in Tanzania<\/a> (The Africa Report<\/em>, 5 April 2023)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ethnic politics \u2013 Kenya<\/strong>\n
\n- Kenya: What went wrong in 2007?<\/a> (Al Jazeera<\/em>, 3 March 2013)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Three reasons ethnicity will count for less in Kenya\u2019s upcoming vote<\/a> (Nic Cheeseman, African Arguments<\/em>, 26 July 2022)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Why Kenya’s Gen Z has taken to the streets<\/a> (Judy Mbugua, Journal of Democracy<\/em>, July 2025)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Democracy and authoritarianism\n
\n- Varieties of Democracy<\/a> (V-Dem)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Democracy in Africa<\/a> (N.Cheeseman – S.Sishuwa, CUP 2021)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ghana becomes record fifth African nation to see opposition victory this year<\/a> (N.Cheeseman, BBC<\/em>, 2024)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- And yet it resists: Democracy in Africa after the 2024 electoral super-cycle<\/a> (T.Corda, ISPI, 2024)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Coups in West Africa have five things in common<\/a> (www.democracyinafrica.org, 2025)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Democracy and authoritarianism \u2013 Nigeria<\/strong>\n
\n- Half of a Yellow Sun<\/a> (2013 movie on Biafra war from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 2006 novel)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Nigeria Politics Weekly<\/a> (podcasts)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Nigeria election 2023: What’s at stake<\/a> (The New Humanitarian<\/em>, 23 February 2023)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Herders and farmers in Nigeria: coexistence and conflict<\/a> (Adam Igazi, ISPI, 2020)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to write about Nigeria<\/a> (Bright Alozie, 19 November 2021)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Democracy and authoritarianism \u2013 South Africa<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Class presentations: sustainable development<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Class presentations: developmental state<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Class presentations: security-development nexus<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Class presentations: corruption in developing countries<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Class presentations: migration and development<\/em><\/a> <\/em><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Class presentations: the European Union’s relations with Africa<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Class presentations: China and Africa’s development<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Class presentations: US foreign policy in Afric<\/em>a<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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Required readings for all students 2025-2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nNote: students attending classes may skip the readings marked in bold at the bottom of the list.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n- Sen, Amartya, \u201cWhat is development about?<\/a>\u201d, in Meier, Gerald \u2013 Stiglitz, Joseph (eds), Frontiers of Development economics. The future in perspective<\/em>, Oxford University Press, 2001, pp. 506-513<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Whitfield, Lindsay, \u201cAn introduction to the political economy of development<\/a>\u201d, in Cheeseman, Nic \u2013 Whitfield, Lindsay \u2013 Death, Carl (eds), The African Affairs Reader<\/em>. Key Texts in Politics, Development, and International Relations<\/em>, Oxford University Press, 2017, pp. 115-127<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Langan, Mark, \u201cNeo-colonialism and Nkrumah: recovering a critical concept<\/a>\u201d, in Mark Langan, Neo-colonialism and the poverty of \u201cdevelopment\u201d in Africa<\/em>, London, Palgrave, 2018, pp.1-32<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Edwards, Sebastian, \u201cEconomic development and the effectiveness of foreign aid: a historical perspective\u201d, Kiklos<\/em>, 68 (3), 2015, pp. 277-316<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Hirsch, Alan \u2013 Lopes, Carlos, \u201cPost-colonial African economic development in historical perspective\u201d, Africa Development<\/em>, 65 (1), 2020, pp. 31-46<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Akyeampong, Emmanuel \u2013 Bates, Robert \u2013 Nunn, Nathan \u2013 Robinson, James, \u201cAfrica \u2013 the historical roots of its underdevelopment<\/a>\u201d, in id. (eds), Africa\u2019s development in historical perspective<\/em>, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2014, pp. 1-28<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Acemoglu, Daron \u2013 Robinson, James, \u201cWhy is Africa poor?\u201d, Economic History of Developing Regions<\/em>, 25 (1), 2010, pp. 21-50<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Cheeseman, N., Death, C., & Whitfield, L., \u201cAn introduction to the African state<\/a>\u201d. In N. Cheeseman, L. Whitfield, & C. Death (eds.), The African Affairs Reader: Key Texts in Politics, Development and International Relations,<\/em> Oxford University Press, 2017, pp. 15-29<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Herbst, Jeffrey, \u201cThe challenge of state-building in Africa<\/a>\u201d, in Herbst, Jeffrey, States and Power in Africa: Comparative Lessons in Authority and Control<\/em>, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2000, pp. 11-31<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Jackson, Robert \u2013 Rosberg, Carl, \u201cWhy Africa\u2019s weak states Persist: The Empirical and the Juridical in Statehood\u201d, World Politics<\/em>, 35(1), 1982, pp. 1-24<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Olivier de Sardan, Jean-Pierre, \u201cA moral economy of corruption in Africa?\u201d, Journal of Modern African Studies<\/em>, 37(1), 1999, 25-52<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Alesina, Alberto \u2013 Devleeschauwer, Arnaud \u2013 Easterly, William \u2013 Kurlat, Sergio \u2013 Wacziarg, Romain, \u201cFractionalization\u201d, Journal of Economic Growth<\/em>, 8, 2003, pp. 155-194<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Easterly, William \u2013 Levine, Ross, \u201cAfrica\u2019s growth tragedy: policies and ethnic divisions\u201d, Quarterly Journal of Economics<\/em>, 12(4), 1997, pp. 1203-1250<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Vogel, Christoph \u2013 Stearns, Jason, \u201cKivu\u2019s intractable security conundrum, revisited\u201d, African Affairs<\/em>, 117 (469), 2018, pp. 695-707<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Cederman, Lars-Erik \u2013 Wimmer, Andreas \u2013 Min, Brian \u201cWhy do ethnic groups rebel? New data and analysis\u201d, World Politics<\/em>, 62 (1), 2010, pp. 87-119<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Posner, Daniel \u2013 Young, Daniel, \u201cThe institutionalization of political power in Africa\u201d, Journal of Democracy<\/em>, 18(3), 2007, pp.126-140<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Goldsmith, Arthur A., \u201cRisk, rule and reason. Leadership in Africa\u201d, Public Administration and Development<\/em>, 21, 2001, pp. 77-87<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Harding, Robin, \u201cWho is democracy good for? Elections, rural bias, and health and education outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa\u201d, Journal of Politics<\/em>, 82 (1), 2019, pp. 241-254<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Haggard, Stephan \u2013 Kaufman, Robert, \u201cThe anatomy of democratic backsliding\u201d, Journal of Democracy<\/em>, 32 (4), 2021, p. 27-41<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ross, Michael, \u201cThe paradoxical wealth of nations\u201d, in Ross, Michael, The oil curse. How petroleum wealth shapes the development of nations<\/em>, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2012, pp.1-25<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Bermeo, Nancy, \u201cOn democratic backsliding\u201d, Journal of Democracy<\/em>, 27 (1), 2016, pp. 5-19<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fortin, Jessica, \u201cA tool to evaluate state capacity in post-communist countries, 1989-2006\u201d, European<\/em> Journal of Political Research<\/em>, 49, 2010, pp. 654-686<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Goldsmith, Arthur A., \u201cPredatory versus developmental rule in Africa\u201d, Democratization<\/em>, 11 (3), 2004, pp. 98-110<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Long, James \u2013 Gibson, Clark, \u201cEvaluating the roles of ethnicity and performance in African elections: evidence from an exit poll in Kenya\u201d, Political Research Quarterly<\/em>, 68 (4), 2015, pp. 830-842<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Roessler, Philip, \u201cThe enemy within: Personal Rule, Coups, and Civil War in Africa\u201d, World Politics<\/em>, 63 (2), 2011, pp. 300-346<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n