An authoritative guide to the political, social, and demographic changes happening in Africa and why it matters for the rest of the world.

Africa is undergoing an astounding transformation that will usher in a new era of political volatility and experimentation in the coming years. The region is in the midst of a historically unprecedented demographic surge that has skewed the median age in most countries to below 20 years old. This demographic moment coincides with three factors likely to amplify the political agendas of African youth: rapid urbanization, dramatically increased digital connectivity, and an inflection point in new political narratives.

Gavin argues that these clear trends will result in an increase in political volatility, popular demonstrations will become larger and more frequent, incumbents will be more vulnerable, honeymoon periods for new leaders will be shorter, and transfers of power and leadership will be more frequent. Citizens frustrated by the status quo will show more willingness to experiment with different forms of government and different external partnerships, all with significant implications for those hoping for a global democratic resurgence.

What are we to make of these all this? Will young African men pose a global security threat, as some schools of thought speculate? Will a massive migration wave bring wide-reaching consequences on neighboring regions, especially Europe? Will upwardly mobile African youth fuel an engine of growth and entrepreneurialism on the continent, presenting development opportunities? Rather, this book is focused on what kind of governance models are rejected and preferred by young, urban, engaged Africans, and what the consequences of frequent political change might be. What is coming will be dramatically different from the period of political stagnation that has characterized the past two decades in the region. All these changes will enable new forms of political organizing and greater awareness of alternative models and experiences. Moreover, an increasingly heated major power rivalry between the United States, Russia, and China will be watching the region closely.

Michelle D. Gavin is the Ralph Bunche Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). She has over twenty years of experience in international affairs in government and non-profit roles. She was formerly the managing director of The Africa Center, a multidisciplinary institution dedicated to increasing understanding of contemporary Africa. From 2011 to 2014 she was the U.S. ambassador to Botswana and served concurrently as the U.S. representative to the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Prior to serving as Ambassador, Gavin was a special assistant to President Obama and the senior director for Africa at the National Security Council, where she led major policy reviews of Sudan and Somalia and helped to originate the Young African Leaders Initiative, a U.S. government effort intended to deepen policymakers' understanding of young African priorities.

Gavin is the author of numerous articles and discussion papers, and she writes regularly for CFR's Africa in Transition blog. She received an MPhil in international relations from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar, and earned her BA from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where she was a Truman Scholar. She serves on the board of directors of Points of Light and Emerging Public Leaders. Gavin is based in New York City.