Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: state, civil society and external interests -- History: Africa's pre-colonial and colonial inheritance -- Ideology: nationalism, socialism, populism and state capitalism -- Ethnicity and religion: 'tribes', gods and political identity -- Social class: the search for class politics in Africa -- Legitimacy: neo-patrimonialism, personal rule and the centralisation of the African state -- Coercion: military intervention in African politics -- Sovereignty I: external influences on African politics -- Sovereignty II: neo-colonialism, structural adjustment and Africa's political economy -- Authority: the crises of accumulation, governance and state collapse -- Democracy: re-legitimising the African state? -- Conclusions: state and civil society in post-colonial Africa -- Appendix: a guide to African politics resources on the internet.