Reflections on the prospects for democracy in Africa and on the impediments to that happening

David Schultz

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/dm.17(2).2019.04

Reflections on the prospects for democracy in Africa and on the impediments to that happening

Received May 16, 2019;

Accepted June 19, 2019;

Published August 15, 2019
Author(s)

Link to ORCID Index: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7863-8694

David Schultz
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/dm.17(2).2019.04
Article Info
Volume 17 2019, Issue #2, pp. 26-36
TO CITE

618 Views
164 Downloads

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Approximately a half-century after the end of colonialism few countries in Africa have established long-term stable democracies. Instead, the last 50 years have witnessed either repeated failures or even regression or departure from the path to democracy. This article seeks to examine why. It discusses the current continent-wide state of and prospects for democracy in Africa in light of leading theories on democratic development. Part one of the article examines the western concept of democracy for the purposes of definition and suitability for Africa. It then describes both the values and requisites for a democracy to exist, including the socio-economic and institutional structures required. The article then draws upon a unique database constructed here that examines the relationship between democracy, economic development, poverty, and GDP, among other cross-national aggregate data. The article concludes with what ta discussion of what factors seems to be missing to entrench democracy across Africa, and observations regarding the impediments remaining to forming democratic regimes on this continent.

view full abstract

Keywords
Africa, democracy, democratization, modernization
JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)
H10, P47
References
71
Tables
0
Figures
0

- Acemoglu, D., & Robinson, J. A. (2012). Why nations fail: the origins of power, prosperity, and poverty (546 p.). New York: Crown Business.
- Adebanwi, W., & Obadare, E. (2012). The abrogation of the electorate: an emergent African phenomenon. In Crawford, G., & Lynch, G. (Ed.). Democratization in Africa: challenges and prospects (pp. 37-61). New York: Routledge.
- Almond, G. A., & Verba, S. (1963). The civic culture. Boston: Little Brown.
- Barka, H. B., & Ncube, M. (2012). Economic brief-political fragility in Africa: are military coups d’etat a never-ending phenomenon? African development bank group.
- Benn, M. (2016). Newly elected Central Afican Republic leader faces hard realities. New York Times (February 22), A7.
- Bodin, J., & Franklin, J. (Ed.) (2003). On sovereignty: four chapters from the six books of the commonwealth (Cambridge texts in the history of political thought). New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Bratton, M. (2010). Formal versusInformal Institutions in Africa. In Diamond, L., & Plattner, M. F. Democratization in Africa: progress and retreat (pp. 103-120). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Budge, I. (1970). Agreement and the Stability of Democracy. Chicago: Markham Publishing Co.
- Ceaser, J. W. (1993). Reconstructing political science. In Elkin, S. L., & Soltan, K. E. A new constitutionalism: designing political institutions for a good society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Cheeseman, N. (2012). The internal politics of power-sharing in Africa. In Crawford, G., & Lynch, G. Democratization in Africa: challenges and prospects (pp. 62-91). New York: Routledge.
- Christoph, J. B. (1965). Consensus and cleavage in British political ideology. American political science review, 59, 629-642.
- Clark, J. F. (2010). The decline of the African military coup. In Diamond, L., & Plattner, M. F. Democratization in Africa: progress and retreat (pp. 73-87). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Crawford, G., & Lynch, G. (2012). Democratization in Africa 1990-2010: an assessment. In Crawford, G., & Lynch, G. Democratization in Africa: challenges and prospects (pp. 1-36). New York: Routledge.
- Crawford, G., & Lynch, G. (2012). Democratization in Africa: challenges and prospects. New York: Routledge.
- Dahl, R. A. (1956). A preface to democracy theory. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Dahl, R. A. (1971). Polyarchy: participation and opposition. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- Dahl, R. A. (1976). Democracy in the United States: promise and performance. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- Dahl, R. A. (1979). ho governs? Democracy and power in an America n city. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- Dahl, R. A. (1989). Democracy and its critics. Nw Haven: Yale University Press.
- De Ruggiero, G. (1959). The history of European liberalism. Boston: Beacon Press.
- Diamond, L. (2010). Introduction. In Diamond, L., & Plattner, M. F. Democratization in Africa: progress and retreat (pp. IX-XXVIII). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Diamond, L. (2010). The rule of law versus the big man. In Diamond, L., & Plattner, M. F. Democratization in Africa: progress and retreat (pp. 47-58). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Diamond, L. et al. (Eds.) (1989). Democracy in developing countries: Latin America. Colorado: Lynn Reinner.
- Dworkin, R. (1978). Taking rights seriously. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
- Dyzenhaus, D. (2006). The constitution of law: legality in a time of emergency. New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Easton, D. (1965). A framework for political analysis. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
- Freedom House (2010). Freedom in the world 2010: erosion of freedom intensifies. Washington: Freedom House.
- Freedom House (2015). Freedom in the world 2015.
- Fuller, L. (1975). The morality of law. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- Geddes, B. (1999). What do we know about democratization after twenty years? Annual review of political science, 2, 115-144.
- Gettleman, J. (2016). Uganda moves toward “Democracy light” amid elections. New York Times (February 18), A9.
- Huntington, S. P. (1956). Civilian control and the constitution. American political science review, 50, 676-699.
- Huntington, S. P. (1968). Political order in changing societies. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- Huntington, S. P. (1984). Will more countries become democratic? Political science review, 99, 193-199.
- Huntington, S. P. (1991). The third wave: democratization in the late twentieth century. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.
- Kant, I. (1978). Foundation of the metaphysics of morals (text and critical essays edited by Wolff, R. P.). Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.
- Kornhauser, W. (1959). The politics of mass society. Illinois: The Free Press.
- Kron, J. (2016). Irregularities and delays amid voting in Uganda. New York Times (February 19), A10.
- Lewis, P. (2010). Growth without prosperity in Africa. In Diamond, L., & Plattner, M. F. Democratization in Africa: progress and retreat (pp. 88-102). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Lijphart, A. (1977). Democracy in plural societies. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- Lijphart, A. (1968). Typologies of democratic systems. Comparative political studies, 1, 3-35.
- Lim, T. C. (2010). Doing comparative politics: an introduction to approaches and issues. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
- Lipset, S. M. (1959). Some social requisites of democracy: economic development and political legitimacy. American political science review, 53, 69-105.
- Lipset, S. M. (1960). Political man: the social bases of politics. New York: Anchor Books.
- Locke, J. (1996). Two treatises of government. New York: Cambridge University Press.
- Macpherson, C. B. (1973). Democratic theory: essays in retrieval. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Marshall, T. (1987). The bicentennial speech.
- McHugh, J. T. (2002). Comparative constitutional traditions. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
- McIlwain, C. H. (1958). Constitutionalism: ancient and modern. New York: Great Seal Books.
- Mill, J. S. M. (1986). The subjection of women. New York: Prometheus Books.
- Needler, M. C. (1968). Political development and socioeconomic development: the case of Latin America. American political science review, 62, 889-897.
- Neubauer, D. E. (1967). Some conditions of democracy. American political science review, 61, 1002-1009.
- O’Donnell, G., Schmitter, Ph. C., & Whitehead, L. (Ed.) (1986). Transitions from authoritarian rule. Vol. 4: Tentative conclusions about uncertain democracies (96 p.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Pennock, J. R. (1979). Democratic political theory. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Pennock, J. R., & Chapman, J. W. (1979). Constitutionalism. New York: NYU Press.
- Pennock, J. R., & Chapman, J. W. (1983). Liberal democracy. New York: NYU Press.
- Posner, D. N., & Young, D. J. (2010). The institutionalization of political power in Africa. In Diamond, L., & Plattner, M. F. Democratization in Africa: progress and retreat (pp. 59-72). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
- Powell, G. B. Jr. (2000). Elections as instruments of democracy. New Haven: Yale University Press.
- Przeworski, A., & Limongi, F. (1997). Modernization: theory and facts. World politics, 49(2), 155-183.
- Putnam, R. (1993). Making Democracy Work. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Rabushka, A., & Shepsle, K. (1972). Politics in plural societies: a theory of democratic instability. Columbus: Merrill Publishers.
- Rawls, J. (1973). A theory of justice. Cambridge: Belknap Press.
- Rostow, W. W. (1971). The stages of economic growth. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Rousseau, J.-J. R. (1977). The social contract. New York: Penguin.
- Rueschemeyer, D., Stephens, E. H., & Stephens, J. (1992). Capitalist development and democracy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Rustow, D. A. (1968). Modernization and comparative politics: prospects in research and theory. Comparative. Politics, 1, 37-51.
- Sartori, G. (1987). The theory of democracy revisited (270 p.). Vol. 1-2. Chatham: Chatham House Publishers.
- Schultz, D. A. (2002). The phenomenology of democracy: putnam, pluralism, and voluntary associations. In McLean, S. L., Schultz, D. A., & Steger, M. B. (Eds.). Bowling alone: critical perspectives on community and bowling alone (pp. 74-98). New York: NYU Press.
- Tarrow, S. (1996). Making social science work across space and time: a critical reflection on Robert Putnam’s Making Democracy Work. American political science review, 90, 389-98.
- Transparency International (2015). Corruption perceptions index.
- Van Cranenburgh, O. (2012). Democracy promotion in Africa: an institutional context. In Crawford, G., & Lynch, G. Democratization in Africa: challenges and prospects (pp. 169-187). New York: Routledge.

< Prev Next >

Download Preview

Development Management

Please specify your request here

Reflections on the prospects for democracy in Africa and on the impediments to that happening

COOKIES
The cookie settings on this website are set to 'allow all cookies' to give you the best experience.

Please specify your request here

Reflections on the prospects for democracy in Africa and on the impediments to that happening

The nature of China’s role in development of Africa: the case of Zimbabwe

Strategic change in investment policy rationale of enterprises modernization as a key condition for getting over economic crisis

Management innovation practices to public sector organizations

COOKIES The cookie settings on this website are set to 'allow all cookies' to give you the best experience.

COOKIES
The cookie settings on this website are set to 'allow all cookies' to give you the best experience.