The
topic of the class was the nature of african state. We focused mainly on
patrimonialism and clientelist networks which is a key component of states in
Africa.
There has been raised a question how are these clientelist networks set up. From what I understood from the discussion from the class there are two main factors influencing the setting up of clientelist networks.
The first one is the nature of institutions where the huge role is played by centralization of power as well as the personalization of that power. Thus one group or one person is distributing resources to lower lever in order to sustain his or their support. However this process has to be reciprocal, meaning that both clients and patrons have to benefit from this relationship. The relationship itself also very often relies on the local factor or the element of kinship or ethnicity. For example in Somalia is the clientelist network based on clan factor.
The second key factor for this set up is the constelation of power or in other words relationship between politicians and traditional authorities in african states. This factor was illustrated by the example of postindependent Kenya or Ghana where after the gaining of independence there took place an elite cooptation which was the main moving factor for the power set up. However in these states there were enough recources in the center to be distributed and after that distribution the crises came along which resulted in the centralization of power. A different example was given – the Democratic republic of Congo where Mobutu didn´t coopt elites but used coercion.
Other question relating clientelist networks has been raised – how the public of these african states percieves these networks. This is of course very subjective and can´t be generalized. The percieving of clientelist networks by public hugely depends on each state and conditions the state is in. For example if the state is successful in providing schools, health care or infrastructure, the public views this set up as good and the other way round. One important remark regarding this has been noted and that is that the ability to posess recources depends on the access to institutions – the state in Africa is a crucial instrument. There is as well another important factor in the public stances in general and that is the education – uneducated persons don´t know what the institution actually is and therefore don´t know what is right.
In the class we also discussed the nature of the state and in that context mostly the hybrid state. It was noted that some african states try to apply the western model of a state which in combination with traditional precolonial structures creates usually weak and non-functioning states. They are trying to reach the balance between the modern and traditional state which leads to pressure which then can lead to breakdown. For example some of the traditional institutions can be preserved in these states however they can´t work as they used to in the precolonial period.
The main concluding point of that class´discussion was that context matters. Each and every african state is different and nothing can be really generalized. For example every state has a different degree of patrimonalism or centralization. And the process of creating these states is a dynamic process wich might go in different directions.
There has been raised a question how are these clientelist networks set up. From what I understood from the discussion from the class there are two main factors influencing the setting up of clientelist networks.
The first one is the nature of institutions where the huge role is played by centralization of power as well as the personalization of that power. Thus one group or one person is distributing resources to lower lever in order to sustain his or their support. However this process has to be reciprocal, meaning that both clients and patrons have to benefit from this relationship. The relationship itself also very often relies on the local factor or the element of kinship or ethnicity. For example in Somalia is the clientelist network based on clan factor.
The second key factor for this set up is the constelation of power or in other words relationship between politicians and traditional authorities in african states. This factor was illustrated by the example of postindependent Kenya or Ghana where after the gaining of independence there took place an elite cooptation which was the main moving factor for the power set up. However in these states there were enough recources in the center to be distributed and after that distribution the crises came along which resulted in the centralization of power. A different example was given – the Democratic republic of Congo where Mobutu didn´t coopt elites but used coercion.
Other question relating clientelist networks has been raised – how the public of these african states percieves these networks. This is of course very subjective and can´t be generalized. The percieving of clientelist networks by public hugely depends on each state and conditions the state is in. For example if the state is successful in providing schools, health care or infrastructure, the public views this set up as good and the other way round. One important remark regarding this has been noted and that is that the ability to posess recources depends on the access to institutions – the state in Africa is a crucial instrument. There is as well another important factor in the public stances in general and that is the education – uneducated persons don´t know what the institution actually is and therefore don´t know what is right.
In the class we also discussed the nature of the state and in that context mostly the hybrid state. It was noted that some african states try to apply the western model of a state which in combination with traditional precolonial structures creates usually weak and non-functioning states. They are trying to reach the balance between the modern and traditional state which leads to pressure which then can lead to breakdown. For example some of the traditional institutions can be preserved in these states however they can´t work as they used to in the precolonial period.
The main concluding point of that class´discussion was that context matters. Each and every african state is different and nothing can be really generalized. For example every state has a different degree of patrimonalism or centralization. And the process of creating these states is a dynamic process wich might go in different directions.
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