June 19, 2025 The SSRC’s APN and Next Gen program-sponsored panel, “Defending Democracy in Africa: Challenges and Options,” which was held virtually as part of the 2025 Lagos Studies Association (LSA) Conference, featured five paper presentations. The first paper presentation by Hakeem Onapajo, panel Chair, titled “Weak Institutions and Democratic Backsliding in Africa: A Study of the ‘Third Wave of Military Coups’ in West Africa,” explored the recent coups in West Africa, noting that they had largely been approached from external and geopolitical perspectives. Drawing on an institutional approach, the presenter argued that institutional weaknesses, or the dysfunctional nature of …

About the Lecture What if the key to police reform isn't changing policies or removing "bad actors," but understanding how good officers make decisions under pressure? Professor Dube argues that prevailing approaches to police reform overlook a fundamental reality: officers must make decisions under intense stress and time pressure—cognitive conditions that lead even well-intentioned officers to rely on mental shortcuts and default assumptions. Drawing on insights from behavioral economics, Professor Dube designed a new training approach that addresses these cognitive realities. Through a sustained partnership with the Chicago Police Department, she tested whether changing how officers think could transform how …