Spring 2005 - POSC 363 Political Economy of Internal Conflict
Instructor: Julian Westerhout
Office: Willis Hall 413; phone x7848
Email: jwesterh@carleton.edu
Class Loc: Sayles 252
Class Hours: MW 1:50-3:00, F 2:20-3:20
Office hours: MWF 9:30-10:30, and by appt.
Course Description:
While occurrences of civil war have broadly declined worldwide over the past 30 years, in Africa they
have been on the increase. Entire regions of Sub-Saharan Africa risk being perpetually mired in a cycle of
violence and very slow or negative economic growth, despite natural wealth and efforts at political reform. This course will examine the political economy of civil wars in an effort to further our understanding
of the economic and political factors that contribute to intrastate war. We will consider domestic and
international aspects, utilizing several theoretical approaches in conjunction with case studies, historical,
and empirical analysis.
Expectations and Evaluation:
Your grade will be weighted as follows:
Participation: 25%
This is a small seminar, and for all of us to get the most out of this course, your attendance and participation are vital. Therefore contribution to class discussions is required and, in conjunction with attendance, makes up part of your final grade. You are responsible for reading assigned materials before class
sessions, and are expected to integrate the readings with our discussions, other readings, and events in
the world.
Review Memos: 30%
During the term you will write two in-depth critical memos on the class readings. Each memo will be 3-4
pages in length. These memos will be distributed to the entire class via Collab twenty-four hours before
the class session which your memo covers. They will provide a springboard for in-class discussion of the
readings.
Paper: 35%
You will each write a substantive research paper on an approved topic of your choosing related to the
class. The paper will be 20-25 pages in length. You will receive a handout with more about the paper
during the second week of class.
Presentation: 10%
In the eighth and ninth weeks of the term each of you will present your research to the class. Your paper
need not be completely finished before your presentation -- hopefully you will get good feedback from
the rest of us that will help you refine your paper.
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Accommodation of Special Needs:
If you have a documented physical or learning disability that will affect your ability to complete the assignments in this class in a timely manner, I will make accommodations for you. If you need extra time or
assistance in completing assignments, you must tell me during the first week of class.
Statement on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty:
While incorporating the thoughts of others into your work is allowed (and required when you write your
paper!), you must be sure to give credit where it is due. Any quotations must be clearly marked and
correctly cited, and ideas or concepts you have gotten from the work of others must also be cited. If you
are unsure how to properly cite sources in your work see me, and I will be glad to help you. Presenting
the work of others as your own (without citation) is plagiarism – that is, cheating, and will result in a failing
grade for the course. Do not engage in academic dishonesty of any type – if in doubt, don’t do it (or ask
me for clarification).
Readings:
The text listed below is the only text you will need to purchase for the course. Many of the readings on
the syllabus are on e-reserve, and several are on physical reserve. You are, of course, required to obtain
and read those as well as the readings from the purchased text. There will be other readings during the
semester – these will largely be topical in nature (often from The Economist, an excellent magazine if you
are interested in international affairs), and will provide a springboard from which we can discuss the
theories we are studying in the context of current events. I may also occasionally provide supplementary
readings if I feel they are necessary. These readings may be made available via e-reserve, and may also
be distributed in class or on Collab.
Required purchase text:
Comprehending and Mastering African Conflicts. Adedeji, Adebayo. Zed Books. ISBN: 1856497631
pbk (referred to as COMP in the course outline).
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Course Outline:
CLASS
READING
TOPIC
DATE
ASSIGNMENT
NOTES
Mon, Mar 28
Syllabus Overview
Course Introduction
Africa and Africans: African Background,
chapters 1, 2, and 3, by Paul Bohannon and
Philip Curtin, on e-reserve
Wed, Mar 30
Fri, Apr 1
Mon, Apr 4
Review of African History and Geography
Africa and Africans: Africa Since Independence, chapter 20, by Paul Bohannon and Philip
Curtin, on e-reserve
Decolonization: The Fall of the European
Empires, chapters 2, 5, and 6, by M.E. Chamgerlain, on e-reserve
Review of African History and Geography
The Political Economy of Armed Conflict,
Introduction, by Karen Ballentine and Jake Sherman, on e-reserve
Theory
The Rationality of Fear: Political Opportunism and Ethnic Conflict, by Rui J.P. de
Figueiredo, Jr. and Barry R. Weingast, on ereserve
On the Incidence of Civil War in Africa, by
Paul Collier and Anke Hoeffler, on e-reserve
COMP, chapter 1, Comprehending African Conflicts, by Adebayo Adedeji
Wed, Apr 6
Conflict and Governance in Africa
COMP, chapter 2, Mastering African Conflicts,
by Amadou Toumani Toure
COMP, chapter 3, Obstacles to Comprehension
and Barriers to the Mastery of Conflicts, by Reginald Herbold Green
Fri, Apr 8
NO CLASS MEETING
The Economic Functions of Violence in Civil
Wars, by David Keen, on reserve
Mon, Apr 11
NO CLASS MEETING
Theory
IAD Overview, by Elinor Ostrom, on e-reserve
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CLASS
READING
TOPIC
DATE
ASSIGNMENT
NOTES
Conflict and Governance in Africa
Wed, Apr 13
COMP, chapter 4, Achieving Good Governance
in Post-conflict Situations: The Dialectic between
Conflict and Good Governance, by Segun
Odunuga
The Context of Civil Conflict in Africa, by
George Klay Kieh, Jr., on e-reserve
Conflict and Governance in Africa
Fri, Apr 15
Civil Conflicts in Africa: Patterns and Trends,
by George Klay Kieh, Jr., on e-reserve
Oil, Drugs, and Diamonds: The Varying Roles Resources and Violence
of Natural Resources in Civil Wars, by Michael
L. Ross, chapter 3 in The Political Economy of
Armed Conflict, Introduction, on e-reserve
Mon, Apr 18
Economic Incentives, Natural Resources and
Conflict in Africa, by Jeffrey Herbst, on ereserve
COMP, chapter 5, Angola, by Augusto Eduardo
Kambwa, Daniel Mingas Casimiro, Ngongo Joao
Pedro and Lucas Bhengui Ngonda
Looting and Conflict between Ethnoregional
Groups: Lessons for State formation in Africa, by Jean-Paul Azam, on e-reserve
Wed, Apr 20
Case Studies
State Formation
COMP, chapter 6, Burundi, by Joseph Gahama,
S. Makoroka, C. Nditije, P. Ntahombaye and O.
Sindayizeruka
COMP, chapter 7, Liberia, by Al-Hassan Conteh, Case Studies
Joseph S. Guannu, Hall Badio and Klaneh W.
Bruce
Regional Cooperation
Fri, Apr 22
Mon, Apr 25
COMP, chapter 16, Consolidating Peace
through Governance and Regional Cooperation:
The Liberian Experience, by Anthony Barclay
The Political Economy of State Collapse in
Somalia and Liberia, by Gjermund Saether, on
e-reserve
Case Studies
COMP, chapter 13, Understanding Conflict in
Somali and Somaliland, by Ismail Ahmed
Cycles in the Horn of Africa
State Collapse
COMP, chapter 14, Towards a Macroeconomic
Framework for Somaliland's Post-war Rehabilitation and Reconstuction, by Reginald Herbold
Green
Spring 2005 POSC 363 - Political Economy of Internal Conflict
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CLASS
READING
TOPIC
DATE
ASSIGNMENT
NOTES
Somalia: Civil War and International Intervention, by David D. Laitin, on e-reserve
Wed, Apr 27
Fri, Apr 29
Mon, May 2
Role of International Community
Breaking the Conflict Trap, Chapter 6: An
Agenda for International Action, by The World
Bank, on e-reserve
Do No Harm: How Aid Can Support PeaceOr War, chapters 4 and 5, by Mary B. Anderson,
on e-reserve
MID-TERM BREAK
Mon, May 9
Samaritan’s Dilemma
MID-TERM BREAK
Case Studies
Outside NGOs
COMP, chapter 15, The Role of Non-African
NGOs in African Conflicts: The Case of Rwanda,
by Ian Linden
COMP, chapter 8, Rwanda, by Emmanuel Gassana, Butera Jean-Bosco, by Anafashe Deo and
Alice Karelezi
Fri, May 6
GUEST SPEAKER
Third-party interventions and the duration of
intrastate conflicts, by Patrick M Regan, on ereserve
Re-imagining Rwanda, chapters 1 and 9, by
Johan Pottier, on e-reserve
Wed, May 4
Cycles in the Horn of Africa
Case Studies
IOs
The Political Economy of Conflict and UN
Intervention: Rethinking the Critical Cases of
Africa, by Charles Cater, chapter 2 in The Political Economy of Armed Conflict, Introduction, on e-reserve
COMP, chapter 11, The Experience of Northern Case Studies
Mali -- A: History of the Armed Conflict, by Bintou
Sanan Kouca and Sicave Ag. Ecawell; B: Democ- Civil Society
racy and the Peace Process, by Aghatam Alhassane
COMP, chapter 12, Nigeria: A Victim of its Own
Success, by Segun Odunuga
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CLASS
READING
TOPIC
DATE
ASSIGNMENT
NOTES
COMP, chapter 9, Sierra Leone, by John Bobor
Laggah, Joe A. D. Allie and Roland S. V. Wright
Wed, May 11
Fri, May 13
Mon, May 16
Case Studies
Civil Society
COMP, chapter 10, Angola: Seeking to Remedy
the Limitations and Bias in Media and Scholarly
Coverage, by Reginald Herbold Green
COMP, chapter 17, Which Way Forward? A
Panel Discussion
Future Prospects
Approaches to Democratization, by Michael
Bratton and Nicolas van de Walle, on e-reserve
Future Prospects
Wed, May 18
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
Fri, May 20
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
Mon, May 23
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
Wed, May 25
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
Fri, May 27
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
Mon, May 30
Wed, Jun 1
Debate: Are Multi-Party Democratic TradiDemocracy’s Prospects
tions Taking Hold in Africa?, Issue 17 in Taking
Sides, on e-reserve
Debate: Is Foreign Assistance Useful for
Fostering Democracy in Africa?, Issue 18 in
Taking Sides, on e-reserve
PAPER DUE
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