This course examines the decline and fitful recovery of both governance and economic development in selected African countries over the past fifty years. We shall pursue an understanding of what is going on under three broad headings: (i) Domestic conditions: history, personal rule, patronage politics, violence and improvements in governance; (ii) Core development issues: slow growth, economic reforms, development assistance, debt and other limits on the life chances of citizens; and (iii) Global engagements and challenges: African regional institutions, trade and investment, the environment for business, and, finally, the changing strategic landscape of Africa.