States and Power in Africa

Rating:
Summary: Overbearing
Review: As a citizen from one of the countries in Africa, I found this book most overbearing. I confess I started to get prejudiced from the inception, when Herbst describes his arrival in the clouds, on the continent, and how he cast an eagle eye on us from the plane and began brooding about our fate. How godly!!! But I have learned to appreciate Western books on us as a portrayal of Western gaze, rather than a portrayal of our realities. As such, the book is interesting, although it reaches certain conclusions (decertifying states, dumping the Addis rules, all this under outside compulsion) that, given the current propensities of the American government, should be considered by any African patriot as extremely dangerous.

Rating:
Summary: interesting idea but it doesnt work
Review: Herbst claims to be making a generalizable argument about the implications of political geography (which for him seems to consist solely of population density) on state building. That is, low population densities are problematic for state officials trying to broadcast their authority throughout the territory they supposedly control. Whether or not his theory holds for African states is debatable given the shoddy evidence presented. Even more questionable, though, is whether this theory has any value for understanding state building in the non-African world - lots of countries with low population densities (like canada or australia, for example) dont face nearly the same problems as African states do with regard to authority broadcasting and state formation. overall, this book is an interesting and perhaps innovative take on political development, but it ultimately fails to make a persuasive case for bringing political geography to center stage.

Rating:
Summary: Insightful and compelling
Review: Herbst does not contend that political geography is the sole determinant in explaining the precarious state of contemporary African nations. Rather he asserts that precolonial social and political norms as well as post-colonial adherence to an imposed state system (reified by the Addis rules) have contributed most to the Continent's current plight. He emphasizes that throughout history, African rulers have had a perpetual disregard for consolidating power in the hinterlands. By means of rational cost-benefit analysis, African rulers historically concluded that the costs of extending formal political authority into the hinterlands pointedly outweighed the purported benefits. Instead, African rulers focused their attention on the capital city and its immediate environs. This precolonial practice soon became a leit motif in African politics. Rulers in contemporary African states continue to focus their attention on the political consolidation of urban centers. When the independence-era African rulers acceded to inheriting the colonial boundaries, Herbst suggests these leaders may have become even less wont to broadcasting their writ of authority. Territorial integrity and the inviolabliity of borders (two salient precepts of the first OAU summit at Addis) convinced African leaders of the futility of broadcasting power past the capital. With no external security threat it seemed pointless to extend political control. Factors such as national design, political geography, and lack of infrastructure (esp. roads) are all strictures exacerbating the sense of alienation and disaffection hinterland populations experience as physical isolation is coupled with political disenfranchisement. These externalities also contribute to many African leaders' reassertion that the travails of broadcasting power are too costly. Consequently, the political ambit of African states remains modest and the prospect of significantly increasing the scope of political authority in contemporary African nations remain dim. Herbst has devised a cogent, compelling, and provocative analysis of state consolidation in sub-Saharan Africa devoid of the many fictions tied to the putative European model. An amazon review cannot do this book proper justice (there is much more I have failed to touch on). I only wish to convey that Mr Herbst has afforded us an indispensable opportunity to enhance our understanding of an intriguing phenomenon. States and Power in Africa is a truly outstanding book.