Coups, Rivals, and the Modern State
Why Rural Coalitions Matter in Sub-Saharan Africa

Using extensive research, this book argues that successful African leaders consolidate their rule by developing strategic rural coalitions.

Beth S. Rabinowitz (Author)

9781108411677, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 13 February 2020

329 pages, 29 b/w illus. 22 tables
23 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.45 kg

'Beth S. Rabinowitz brings territorial politics back into the study of postcolonial African states. This valuable study is an important counterweight to conventional stories of 'urban bias' in African politics, and a historical corrective to work that takes 1990s multipartism as the 'beginning of politics'. Rabinowitz's argument that strong agricultural policies stabilized some of the continent's most successful regimes is developed in a structured comparison of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, and then extended across a set of 135 governments (in 44 countries) in postcolonial Africa. A new and important argument.' Catherine Boone, London School of Economics and Political Science

State development in Africa is risky, even life-threatening. Heads of state must weigh the advantage of promoting political and economic development against the risk of fortifying dangerous political rivals. This book takes a novel approach to the study of neopatrimonial rule by placing security concerns at the center of state-building. Using quantitative evidence from 44 African countries and in-depth case studies of Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, Rabinowitz demonstrates that the insecurities of the African state make strategically aligning with rural leaders critical to political success. Leaders who cultivate the goodwill of the countryside are better able to endure sporadic urban unrest, subdue political challengers, minimize ethnic and regional discord, and prevent a military uprising. Such regimes are more likely to build infrastructure needed for economic and political development. In so doing, Rabinowitz upends the long-held assumption that African leaders must cater to urban constituents to secure their rule.

Introduction
Part I. Setting the Stage: 1. A new theory of coalition politics
2. Patterns of rule in Africa
3. Rural alliances and coup risk: testing the theory
Part II. Forging Coalitions: 4. Alienating rural allies – Kwame Nkrumah 1947–1957
5. Aligning with regional foes – Félix Houphouët-Boigny 1945–1960
Part III. Consolidating Power: 6. An urban strategy unravels – Kwame Nkrumah 1957–1966
7. A rural strategy builds a nation – Félix Houphouët-Boigny 1960–1980
Part IV. Reversal of Fortune: 8. Reviving the state – J. J. Rawlings 1979–1999
9. Losing the periphery – Henri Konan Bédié 1980–1999
10. Structure not strategy? Examining alternative explanations
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Comparative politics [JPB], Politics & government [JP], Social theory [JHBA], History of ideas [JFCX], African history [HBJH]