Description: Examines how decision makers have managed and mismanaged public policy issues in sub-Saharan Africa. It analyses the neglected issue of how ideas about public policy are generated, by whom and for what purpose. Persistent problems such as political instability, environmental pollution, famine, hunger, desertification, rent-seeking and incessant intra-conflicts across the continent are explored in a systematic and structured manner.
Review Quotes: 'The eclectic topics, which constitute this very useful book, have been superbly addressed by some of the truly excellent scholars and experts in the field of African policy, political and historical studies. Their well-delineated and informed discussions make the publication a really worthwhile tool for interdisciplinary research and teaching. The contributors and the editor of the volume deserve unlimited praise and, indeed, a pat on their backs for this monumental work, which will firmly stand the test of rigorous as well as true scholarship.' Professor A.B. Assensoh, University of Maryland (UMES), USA. 'Ambitious in its theoretical reach, broad in its thematic coverage, and bold in its prescriptions, this volume offers a refreshing re-consideration of the challenges of policymaking in a rapidly changing continent. Students of African development and of African politics will find this volume immensely useful as it challenges old frameworks but also proposes thoughtful solutions. It is particularly forward looking in its insistence on the role of ideas - quite distinct from ideology - in policy formulation and in its critique of structural adjustment for its incomplete transformation. With chapters written by some of the foremost contemporary analysts of African economics, politics, and public policy, this volume offers a balance of critique and solutions that should be of interest to anyone interested in the challenges and innovations in policy making in Africa.' Associate Professor Stephen N. Ndegwa, The College of William & Mary, USA