In citizens’ assessments, most African police forces come up short Matthias Krönke, Thomas Isbell, and Makanga Ronald Kakumba - March 22, 2024 From protests to traffic stops, negative experiences often mark the public’s views of police professionalism.
Africans across 34 countries see the police as predatory, not protective Carolyn Logan - March 19, 2022 Afrobarometer’s latest surveys indicate poorer citizens are more likely than the wealthy to be pressured to pay bribes
Africa has had eight coup attempts in recent months. What’s behind the ‘coup epidemic’? Kristen A. Harkness - February 8, 2022 How leaders consolidate their power helps explain why soldiers depose governments.
Is Africa losing ground in the battle for water and sanitation? Daniel Armah-Attoh - January 27, 2022 Afrobarometer surveys show citizens expect their governments to do more
African citizens support their governments’ pandemic responses — mostly. They’re not sure about the vaccines. Josephine Appiah-Nyamekye Sanny - August 26, 2021 The latest Afrobarometer surveys could help government messaging on fighting the delta variant
Zambia has an election this week. Here’s what you need to know. Danielle Resnick - August 10, 2021 Voters aren’t happy about the country’s economic outlook or its external debt problem
Chad’s president lived and died by the gun. Will the country shift away from militarized rule? Marielle Debos - May 7, 2021 Chad has a long history of armed conflicts. That doesn’t mean it’s a country of warriors.
Benin continues to slide toward autocracy Tyson Roberts - May 6, 2021 The government effectively banned opposition candidates, assuring an election win for President Patrice Talon last month.
Benin’s militant problem may worsen after last month’s election Christina Cottiero - May 3, 2021 The government focused on weeding out political opponents in recent years, rather than combating extremist and criminal groups
West Africans welcome strong government action against covid-19. But many still don’t trust their government. Aminatou Seydou - April 8, 2021 Afrobarometer surveys reveal concerns about covid-related corruption, equitable assistance and power grabs by politicians.
Africa has started vaccinating against the coronavirus. But do citizens trust their governments on vaccine safety? Aminatou Seydou - March 11, 2021 New Afrobarometer surveys help explain vaccine reluctance in five West African countries
Some GOP members didn’t accept Biden’s win. What happens when an anti-democratic faction rocks a democracy? Beatty Riedl and Kenneth Roberts - January 27, 2021 Research from around the globe shows how democracies fight back
Ivory Coast reelected its president. Opposition candidates boycotted the voting. Tyson Roberts - December 2, 2020 The election reflected political rivalries that date back 30 years.
Nwando Achebe’s new book is a fascinating look at Africa’s queens, past and present Laura Seay - August 13, 2020 From spiritual leaders to parliamentarians and presidents, women are reclaiming leadership roles.
Millions of Africans lack access to clean water. This makes coronavirus a bigger threat. Kangwook Han and Brian Howard - March 21, 2020 Today is World Water Day. Here’s what we learned.
African women have less access to the Internet than African men do. That’s a problem. Dominique Dryding, Carmen Alpin Lardies, and Carolyn Logan - March 5, 2020 On International Women’s Day, let’s consider whether all women are advancing equally.
How Huawei could survive Trump Jordan Link - June 9, 2019 In Africa, basic connectivity needs and lower prices may outweigh security concerns.
African governments are cracking down on the news media. Their citizens might be okay with that. Jeffrey Conroy-Krutz - May 12, 2019 When Africans think of “the media,” often they think of the hatemongers and fake-news peddlers.
Why did many voters boycott Benin’s April 28 elections? Tyson Roberts - May 10, 2019 New electoral rules cut off the opposition in new ways.
Trump wants Venezuela’s military to remove its president. But Maduro has made that difficult. Erica De Bruin - May 2, 2019 Will Venezuela’s overlapping forces remain loyal?
Why did 14 opposition parties just boycott Togo’s legislative election? Tyson Roberts - January 7, 2019 [caption id="attachment_82247" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Togo's president, Faure Gnassingbé, speaks to
One-third of the world’s population lives in a declining democracy. That includes the United States. Matthew Wilson and Anna Lührmann - July 4, 2018 [caption id="attachment_75078" align="aligncenter" width="960"] A man holds a flag outside
How much have development strategies changed in Africa since independence? It depends. Landry Signé and Kim Yi Dionne - July 28, 2017 [caption id="attachment_61539" align="aligncenter" width="760"] Ibrahim Hassane Mayaki (left), former prime
Can your spouse help you get elected? Here’s what data from Africa say. Kim Yi Dionne - November 4, 2016 [caption id="attachment_48948" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Melania Trump shakes hands with former
Here’s how African leaders stage ‘constitutional coups’: They tweak the constitution to stay in power. Kamissa Camara - September 16, 2016 [caption id="attachment_46354" align="aligncenter" width="960"] People wait outside a polling station
Africa’s largest public-opinion survey is under threat, but here’s what you can do about it E. Gyimah-Boadi and Carolyn Logan - September 9, 2016 [caption id="attachment_46038" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] An Afrobarometer interviewer conducts a survey
36 years after Zimbabwe’s independence, the country faces these 4 big questions Brooks Marmon - April 28, 2016 [caption id="attachment_39777" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his
Here’s one way to prevent election violence in Africa Kristine Höglund and Hanne Fjelde - April 27, 2016 [caption id="attachment_3809" align="aligncenter" width="720"] An exhibit honors Nelson Mandela in
Benin has a new president: Patrice Talon, an ironic outsider politician Claire Adida and Chabi Bouko - April 13, 2016 [caption id="attachment_38970" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Benin's newly elected President Patrice Talon
Your six questions about Congo’s election, answered Danielle Sanchez - March 25, 2016 [caption id="attachment_37904" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Congo President Denis Sassou-Nguesso at a
Here’s why Benin’s election was a step forward for African democratic consolidation. And why it wasn’t. Tyson Roberts - March 22, 2016 [caption id="attachment_37700" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A picture taken in Cotonou shows
It’s a #SuperSunday in Africa, with elections being held in Benin, Cape Verde, Congo, Niger, Senegal and Zanzibar Kim Yi Dionne - March 20, 2016 [caption id="attachment_37537" align="aligncenter" width="908"] A woman looks at the list
More and more, presidents govern with a coalition. Here are the pluses and minuses. Timothy Power, Paul Chaisty, and Nic Cheeseman - March 17, 2016 [caption id="attachment_37143" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Demonstrators demand the impeachment of Brazil's
Is Africa paving a road out of poverty? Robert Mattes, E. Gyimah-Boadi, and Boniface Dulani - February 7, 2016 [caption id="attachment_35422" align="aligncenter" width="640"] A highway in Madagascar (Rod Waddington)[/caption]
Free and fair elections attract investment, no matter who’s elected. Here’s why. Mike Touchton - January 8, 2016 [caption id="attachment_32114" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Campaign posters of opposition presidential candidate
Why Obama’s military deployment against Boko Haram is too little, too late Landry Signé - October 28, 2015 [caption id="attachment_31259" align="aligncenter" width="908"] Cameroon's Deputy Prime Minister Amadou Ali
The OECD’s fragility index is surprisingly fragile and difficult to reproduce Thomas Scherer - May 17, 2015 In its 2015 States of Fragility report, the Organization for
The OECD's fragility index is surprisingly fragile and difficult to reproduce Erik Voeten - May 17, 2015 In its 2015 States of Fragility report, the Organization for
Most Togolese support term limits. But they just re-elected their president for a third term. Tyson Roberts, Ekoutiamé Ahlin, and Kim Yi Dionne - May 4, 2015 Continuing our series of Election Reports, the following is a
Are African peacekeepers prone to mutiny? Maggie Dwyer - March 25, 2015 [caption id="attachment_23071" align="aligncenter" width="620"] An African Union (AU) peacekeeper walks
What other African elections tell us about Nigeria’s bet on biometrics Giulia Piccolino - March 10, 2015 [caption id="attachment_21553" align="alignnone" width="620"] Two Nigerian voters pose for a
Are efforts to limit presidential power in Africa working? Beatty Riedl - February 16, 2015 [caption id="attachment_21266" align="alignnone" width="620"] A campaign poster for incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan
Four reasons why Burkina Faso’s long-ruling dictator fell Landry Signé - November 10, 2014 [caption id="attachment_17927" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Former President of Burkina Faso, Blaise
Vibrant democracies emerging from power vacuums give hope for Burkina Faso Beatty Riedl - November 5, 2014 [caption id="attachment_17760" align="alignnone" width="620"] Opposition supporters, one holding up a
Burkina Faso: Leading a wave or joining the club? David Stasavage - November 3, 2014 [caption id="attachment_17553" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Burkina Faso's Lt. Col. Yacouba Isaac
Why the deal to pay Brazil $300 million just to keep U.S. cotton subsidies is bad for the WTO, poor countries, and U.S. taxpayers Krzysztof Pelc - October 12, 2014 [caption id="attachment_16699" align="aligncenter" width="605"] The U.S. prefers to pay $300
Scapegoating Africa’s immigrants Claire Adida - June 3, 2014 [caption id="attachment_11271" align="aligncenter" width="1024" special=""] Eastleigh, shown here in January
Scapegoating Africa's immigrants Claire Adida - June 3, 2014 [caption id="attachment_11271" align="aligncenter" width="1024" special=""] Eastleigh, shown here in January
White Smoke and a Black Pope: Is Turkson the Church’s Future? Joshua Tucker - February 27, 2013 According to the smart money, the odds favor the election of
Question about the ‘nerdfight’ James Fearon - November 23, 2011 Here is another "not my field" question about the really
Ethical Challenges of Embedded Experimentation Joshua Tucker - October 26, 2011 Continuing our series of articles from the American Political Science
Call for Election Reports Joshua Tucker - December 9, 2010 Last year we started a Monkey Cage initiative to provide
2010 Togo Presidential Elections Joshua Tucker - March 15, 2010 In our continuing "series of election reports":https://themonkeycage.org/election_reports/, we are pleased