The African Neopatrimonial State as a Global Prototype

The concept of neopatrimonial rule was first applied to Africa by Jean-François Médard to account for the Cameroonian state's lack of institutionalization and “underdevelopment” (Médard 1979: 39). The lack of distinction between office and officeholder, Médard went on, is masked behind discourses, juridical norms, and institutions that nourish the illusion of a legal-bureaucratic logic. In the absence of a legitimizing ideology, the ruler owes his ability to remain in power to his capacity for transforming his monopolistic control over the state into a source of opportunities for family, friends, and clients.