Doctoral Dissertation Research in Political Science: Political Stability, Property Rights, and State-Building in Africa

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award satisfies Division B, Title V, Sec. 543 of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2013 (P.L. 113-6, enacted on March 26, 2013). The project addresses property rights in developing countries, an issue critical to political stability. High demand for agricultural land in international and domestic markets is a critical national security issue as property rights disputes could lead to conflict. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where less than 10% of the land has formal state land title, customary authorities (CAs) maintain a great deal of power in the allocation of rural land. The rapid increase in large-scale land acquisition is replacing customary forms of property rights with state-backed property rights, creating the potential for conflict. The expansion of state authority over land has been contentious, with protests over "land grabs" and violent state-backed expulsions of small-scale farmers that threaten political stability. In response to increased demand from investors for customary land, some CAs comply with state requests for land while others challenge the state and claim the right to control community resources. To contribute to the analysis of contemporary relations between customary authorities and the state, this research seeks to explain why, when, and how CAs resist or participate in the state's attempts to move land from customary to state control to support agricultural investment. The intellectual merit of the proposal is associated with the advancement of knowledge about the relationship between formal and informal governance, the collection of data across multiple contexts and the development of a geo-coded dataset. To analyze this political phenomenon across contexts within Africa, the research will be conducted in three representative forms of customary authority systems: in Western Senegal, Eastern Senegal, and Central Zambia. An original geo-coded dataset of land transfers and customary authorities in Zambia and Senegal will be built, analyzed, and shared to contribute new insight into the process of consolidating state authority. This research revises existing scholarship on political authority in African by demonstrating how CAs shape the outcomes of state attempts to consolidate power over territory. It demonstrates that the internal constraints of the customary institution condition how the CA responds to state encroachment of control over land allocation. The broader impacts of the proposal are related to its insights about factors affecting the potential for violent conflict and political instability. Further, this study informs how and when the conversions from small-scale to large-scale agriculture are contentious, contributing to our ability to promote long-term political stability in the developing world. Potentially volatile political situations and conflicts over land can be avoided through better representation of the needs of local populations in this land-use transition. Customary authorities are central actors in mediating this process. This research will contribute to our understanding of best-practices for American investments active in African land markets and for promoting political stability in the region. This research will be shared through publicly available data, academic conferences and journal publications, policy and inter-disciplinary academic networks such as the Land Deal Politics Initiative, presentations at my host research institutions in Zambia and Senegal, and a book.