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1. Library Resource

   

   When politicians cede control of resources: Land, chiefs and coalition-building in Africa

   Reports & Research

   April, 2011

   Africa

   Indigenous & Community Land Rights

   Land & Corruption

   land allocation

   research

   Why would politicians give up power over the allocation of critical resources to community leaders? This article examines why many African governments have ceded power over the allocation of land to non-elected traditional leaders. In contrast to the existing literature, which suggests traditional leaders’ power is a hang-over from the colonial period that has not been eliminated due to weak state capacity, I argue that African politicians often choose to devolve power to traditional leaders as a means of mobilizing electoral support from non-coethnics.