The Origins of Africa’s Opposition Strongholds
Martha Wilfahrt, Professor
Political Science
Applications for Fall 2025 are closed for this project.
In an era of democratic instability and electoral autocracy, understanding when and where viable opposition parties emerge is critical. This question is particularly pressing in sub-Saharan Africa, where opposition parties vary in their capacity to contest elections. This project seeks to a) develop a descriptive dataset of the region’s opposition parties and their constituencies and b) develop a theory to explain their origins and durability.
Role: Apprentices will conduct original case studies of opposition parties within a subset of countries. This will include reading secondary literature as well as locating primary sources as is necessary. Regular meetings are required, but work can largely be conducted remotely (library access will be necessary).
Qualifications: Preference is for students with experience in desk-based scholarly research (including own past research for coursework). Ability to read French or Portuguese a plus, but certainly not necessary. Prior coursework in political science, African studies or history is desirable.
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Social Sciences