In Africa, the distribution of power and powerlessness seems to be more rigid than on other continents. Political power is in the hands of narrow elites, while the overwhelming majority has hardly any access to decision-making. The common denominator of this book is the notion of power. It follows the analytical differentiation between the concept of power over that which is largely used by mainstream political science, and the concept of power as social practice. The book asks pertinent questions on how power is composed, created, and used on the African continent. (Series: Afrikanische Studien/African Studies - Vol. 43)