THE APPROPRIATENESS OF USING THE CONCEPT OF “PATH DEPENDENCE” ON THE EXAMPLE OF GENERAL DEVELOPMENT TRENDS IN AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS

The article examines the appropriateness of using the concept of “path dependence” when reviewing current issues in the development of democratic institutions in developing countries, using the African continent as a case study. By analyzing the general principles of path dependence, the article reveals the main aspects involved in comparing the assertions of researchers of the concept with the current state of political structures in the region. Through providing historical background, the authors analyze the subject of the study: the overall trends in the development of political regimes on the African continent.A portion of the article is devoted to reviewing the foundational principles of concepts that address issues of sustainable development. It includes citations of key works by sociologists and political scientists on the topic, along with an overview of relevant nuances and various contradictions. By outlining the main arguments, the authors go on to critique inconsistencies in causal relationships through the lens of the “path dependence” concept, using well-known historical events from the colonial era as illustrative examples.The researchers pay significant attention to analyzing general trends in the development of African states using selected theses from scholars of the path dependence concept. Using the example of deliberate manipulations by colonial powers, who exploited certain negative traits of African societies for their own political and economic purposes, one may ask: do broader development trends truly shape unpredictable events, as proponents of the “path dependence” theory suggest?The article refrains from drawing definitive conclusions, yet it encourages a more critical perspective on contemporary theories, suggesting that the concrete historical discourse should not be abandoned in favor of supposedly “unpredictable” or “unknown” factors from the past.