02/11/2019
How colonial rule committed Africa to fragile authoritarianism
The impact of colonial rule on sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the subject of intense debate and controversy. Barely a year goes by in the UK without a public figure igniting a furor by arguing that colonialism somehow benefitted the people it oppressed. But our new book, ?Authoritarian Africa: Repression, Resistance, and the Power of Ideas?, paints a very different picture. We re-evaluate the political legacy of colonialism and find that it had a profound impact on African political systems. The colonial era strengthened the power of ?Big Men? ? powerful local leaders ? over their communities. This The first rigged elections held on the continent were those organized by Britain and...
