About this course: In this political science course you will learn about the twin concepts of federalism and decentralization. You will develop an understanding of the core ideas that federalism and decentralization rest on, and study the building blocks that make them both work. Following a general overview of both federalism and decentralization, we will examine a number of case-studies from Africa where federalism and decentralization have been changing the continent’s political landscape in the last twenty years, coinciding with unprecedented levels of economic growth. What is federalism and how is it different from decentralization? What are the core ideas behind these concepts? Do federalism and decentralization enhance democracy, governance and diversity? Is that why virtually all countries south of the Sahara are now either federal or decentralized? We will be looking at Africa's track-record in order to answer these questions. By the end of the course, you will have acquired a general knowledge of federalism/decentralization and additional empirical knowledge of a number of African cases. Upon completion you will also acquire the ability to unpack and understand a variety of potential consequences of federalism/decentralization reforms in the developing world.
Taught by: Dr. Jan Erk
2016-2017 Smuts Memorial Fellow at the University of Cambridge
| Commitment | 4-8 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
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Dr. Jan Erk makes this course so engaging and interesting! He's one of the clearest professors lecture-wise and a great speaker. The concepts are well organized and easy to follow. Thank you for teaching and I look forward to finishing this course as well as others you'll be teaching in the future!
Great course. This course cleared up the confusion i previously experienced concerning the concepts. I will keep recommending the course to friends.
Content wise and pedagogically I found this course extremely valuable. It gives you a nuanced insight into 'federalism' and 'decentralisation'. Particularly valuable are 1. The conscious incorporation of a multi-disciplinary perspective that shows that the actual practice of these political architectures are by no means shaped primarily by their institutional design, but heavily influenced by historical, political, social, economic and cultural factors. 2. The extensive references to the three major cases in Africa, particularly through the reading. Very interesting articles also that draw attention to in-country variations and how recentralisation may occur within federal and decentralised systems. Pedagogically the course is also well set up. Jan Erks is an excellent presenter whose tone of voice, articulation and body language make for effective communication. What on the surface seems to be periodic 'repetition' of key points, in fact is intentionally designed so as to get key messages reinforced. There were only three weaknesses in the course when I did it: 1. The English transcripts should have been checked. They may have been done by volunteers whose input is admirable, but often there are grammatical errors or it was obvious that the transcriber didn't understand/capture what Jan Erks was saying. 2. Four out of the readings, which like the others should have been accessible, actually were not - only if you paid for them, which is not what it should have been. 3. This course now seems to be running on automatic pilot: there was no indication whatsoever that there was anyone making up a support person or support team who was monitoring the discussion forum, where the problem of the inaccessible readings was flagged up in week 2 already. So it wasn't rectified by the end of the course. That is not serious, certainly not for a university with a reputation as that of Leiden. Some attention please, and rapid corrective action!
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jb
Straightforward and very informative, just what I like in a course!