Trends and Gaps in African Legislative Research: Major Topics from the 1960s–2021

Abstract

Abstract This article takes stock of African legislative studies, focusing on trends and gaps between the 1960s and 2021. It begins with a discussion on the nature of African legislative research by reviewing common research topics on African legislature between the mentioned period from leading scholarly journals in the field before delving into the generational studies and their specific foci. Particular circumstances under which African legislative studies operated are also noted. A notable feature of African legislative scholarship is that most of them are a product of different critical junctures in historical contexts in Africa, which underscores the importance of context-specific variables and histories in discerning legislative policymaking in Africa. The article demonstrates that legislatures are emerging as vital players in governance in some countries more than others, thus informing the recent comparative discourses for African legislative studies. Although the obtainable studies offer insights into the structure and operation of African legislatures, most fail to delve deep into the design and utility of various legislative functions and processes. This calls for a more focused study on the capacity of legislative committees and how they function. This review attempts to provide insights that may inform such an endeavour.