Originally published as a special issue of *Regional and Federal Studies

Includes bibliographical references and index

Federalism and Decentralization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Five Patterns of Evolution By Jan Erk -- Federalism in Africa: Origins, Operation and (In)Significance By J. Tyler Dickovick -- When Decentralization Leads to Recentralization: Subnational State Transformation in Uganda By Janet I. Lewis -- Ethnic Decentralization and the Challenges of Inclusive Governance in Multiethnic Cities: The Case of Dire Dawa, Ethiopia By Asnake Kefale -- Decentralization in Post-Apartheid South Africa By Thomas A. Koelble, Andrew Siddle -- The Geography of Governance in Africa: New Tools from Satellites, Surveys and Mapping Initiatives -- By Heather Huntington *, Erik Wibbels -- Abstract

The 1990s were marked by democratic and decentralization reforms throughout Africa. The chapters of the volume all highlight the gradual changes that have taken place since. Long-term structural uncodified factors - be it societal, economic, geographic, demographic - seem to have interacted with the constitutional clauses introduced during the reforms. In this volume, contributors explore how decentralization slowly gave way to recentralization due to the failings of the new subnational entities; how demographic and social factors affected the function of subnational entities; how conflicts between ethnic groups arose in the contest of decentralization; how traditional authorities gleaned new life from decentralization; and other results of decentralization across government function and society. The big lesson is nothing looks like it was intended and the variations in the 'how' and 'why' hopefully helps us better understand and explain the workings of federalism and decentralization in Africa - and beyond.

English