The neopatrimonial theory of the African State

Question 1

What do Chabal and Daloz list as the politically significant aspects of African life?

Answer 1

• The notion of the individual, individual rationality is based on communal logic
• salience of reciprocity, logic of any action lies in what it induces by way of expectations of reciprocity between the parties involved
• the importance of vertical links, significance in the extent to which vertical and/or personalized
• the concept of success, success isn’t found in growth, but rather in the immediate display of material gain
• the imperative of the short term view and micro-perspective , legitimacy rests with immediate achievements not with its long-term ambition

Question 2

How does Meagher summarise Chabal and Daloz’s arguement?

Answer 2

Chabal and Daloz argue that culture defines distinctive forms of political modernity which may not always lead to democracy

Question 3

How does Meager summarise Bayart’s argument?

Answer 3

Bayart represents culture as an illusion created by political manipulation and often contested by internal social struggles

Question 4

what is the issue with Chabal and Daloz’s view according to meagher?

Answer 4

• Chabal and Daloz espouse a culturally essentialist view of Africa
• tabloid view of African political culture based on prejudice and stereotypes rather than anything approximating evidence, i.e the key regulatory forces in African politics are identified as ethnicity, clientalist, sexual predation and witchcraft

Question 5

How does Bayart ‘demolish’ the notion of fixed cultural logics? (Meagher)

Answer 5

-pointing to the interwining of cultures, the impermanence of tradition and the changing character of cultural identities

Question 6

What issue does Meagher have with Bayart?

Answer 6

-falls for primoridalist approach, suggesting there is a moral economy of trickery and ever political career may even have involved human sacrifice

Question 7

What problem does Nugent mention with Africanist literature?

Answer 7

Focus of writing on moments of complete breakdown in central authority i.e Somalia but it’s a problem when thee are used to stand for Africa as a whole

Question 8

Gambia case study (nugent)

Answer 8

• British encouraged migration to gambia as they cba to spend money on it and could generate tax revenue from ppl working the land
• Gambia limits to state power were initially set by the lack of administrative capacity
• the control of people and commodities has been central to state-building in the Gambia

Question 9

What are Le Vine’s elements of African Patrimonialism?

Answer 9

CHARISMA, the modern African chief, may incorporate these traditional roles in his political repertory and seek the appropriate ritual legitimation therefrom. Many examples of African leaders that emphasize routined i.e Haile Selassie, Houpohouet-Boigny, Nyerere

CONSTITUTIONALISM, the social order, the political order, is an order of place, of carefully defined structure in which every individual fits or is destined to fit.

ZERO-SUM CONFLICT, patrimonial regimes tend to operate within the rules of zero-sum, the maximum allowable deprivation for losers, their families and associates

THE BIG MAN, SMALL BOY SYNDROME, everyone in an official capacity within a power structure, develops networks of reciprocal reinforcement with suboridnates and/or superiors.