The paper reports on a project in progress which focuses on political transition in Africa, 19704991. Presenting preliminary analyses of measures of political transition, the report establishes: 1. A scale of political transition, based upon the properties of the legislative and presidential branches of government. 2. Measures of the magnitude and nature of political transition, both aggregate and at the country level. 3. Relationships between our measures and those generated by Freedom House. 4. And preliminary analyses of the "determinants" of transition, including political violence and per capita income.
