"The Micro-Foundations
of Mass
Politics in Africa" Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
12-13 May 2007
On behalf of the Afrobarometer Network,
the Department of Political Science and the African Studies Center at Michigan
State University are pleased to host a conference on the Micro-Foundations of
Mass Politics in Africa. To date, scholars of African
politics have concentrated principally on the deeds -- and misdeeds – of
political elites. Studies of mass participation have been largely limited to local
cases and have been hampered by a lack of systematic data on public values, attitudes
and behavior. The advent of the Afrobarometer, now comprising three rounds of
national probability sample surveys in up to 18 African countries, 1999-2006,
offers unique opportunities to delve into the foundations of individual political
action. The conference will feature 20 original research
papers by leading and emergent scholars from Africa, Europe and the United States.
The themes of the papers include electoral participation, ethnic identity, economic
wellbeing, social capital, and democratic citizenship. All papers draw evidence
from Afrobarometer public opinion data. An edited volume is planned. Conference
program Geoffrey Evans (Oxford University) and
Pauline Rose (University of Sussex), “Schooling
and Support for Democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa: Testing Mechanisms of Influence” Carolyn
Logan (Michigan State University), “Voters, But Not Yet Citizens: "The
Weak Demand for Vertical Accountability in Africa’s Unclaimed Democracies” Annie
Chikwanha (Institute for Security Studies, Nairobi) and Eldred Masunungure (University
of Zimbabwe), “Young and Old in sub-Saharan
Africa: Who Are the Real Democrats?" Staffan Lindberg
(University of Florida) and Devra Moehler (Cornell University), “More
than Huntington's 'Test': Turnovers as Antidotes to Polarization ” Stanley
Khaila and Catherine Mthinda (University of Malawi), “Does Decentralized
Despotism Undermine Democratic Citizenship?” Robert Mattes
(University of Cape Town), “Democracy
Without People:
Political Institutions and Citizenship in the New South Africa” Etannibi
Alemika (University of Jos), “Quality
of Elections, Satisfaction with Democracy, and Political Trust in Africa.” Martin
Battle (Murray State University) and Jennifer Seely (SUNY, Potsdam), “Its
All Relative: Competing Models of Vote Choice in Benin” Karen
Ferree and Jeremy Horowitz (University of California, San Diego), “Identity
Voting and the Regional Census in Malawi” Margaret
Levi and Audrey Sacks (University of Washington), “Legitimating
Beliefs: Sources and Indicators” Eldred Masunungure
(University of Zimbabwe), “Popular Reactions
to State Repression: Operation Murambatsvina in Zimbabwe” Ravi
Bhavnani (Michigan State University) and David Backer (College of William and
Mary), “Social Capital and Political
Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa” Leonard Wantchekon
and Gwendolyn Taylor (New York University), “Political
Rights versus Public Goods: Uncovering the Determinants of Satisfaction with Democracy
in Africa.” Lauren Morris McLean (Indiana University),
“The Micro-Dynamics of Welfare State
Retrenchment and the Implications for Citizenship in Africa” Carol
Graham and Matthew Hoover (Brookings Institution and University of Maryland),
“Optimism and Poverty in Africa: Adaptation
or a Means of Survival?” Ben Eiffert, (UC Berkeley).
Edward Miguel (UC Berkeley) and Daniel Posner (UCLA), “Political
Sources of Ethnic Identification in Africa” Nicholas
Cheeseman and Rob Ford (Oxford University), “Ethnicity
as a Political Cleavage” Wonbin Cho (Michigan State
University), “Ethnic Fractionalization,
Electoral Institutions, and Africans’ Political Attitudes”
Carrie Konold (University of Michigan), “Perceived
Corruption, Public Opinion and Social Influence in Senegal" Mireille
Razafindrakoto and Francois Roubaud (DIAL, Paris), “Corruption,
Institutional Discredit, and Exclusion of the Poor: A Poverty Trap (English Version).”
(French
Version) Eric Chang (Michigan State University),
“Political Transition, Income Inequality, and Corruption in Third Wave Democracies" | 
