Assess students' ability to analyze comparative relationships between state capacity, institutional legitimacy, and insurgency resilience in post‑colonial African states (1950–2000); tasks include identifying relevant theoretical frameworks, selecting appropriate indicators and methods (qualitative and quantitative), comparing case trajectories, evaluating causal mechanisms (e.g., colonial legacies, economic development, identity politics), interpreting empirical evidence on insurgency onset, durability, and adaptation, and deriving policy-relevant conclusions.