The Quality of Democracy in Africa

Opposition Competitiveness Rooted in Legacies of Cleavages

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government, Democracy, International
Cover of the book The Quality of Democracy in Africa by Jonathan van Eerd, Springer International Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jonathan van Eerd ISBN: 9783319508382
Publisher: Springer International Publishing Publication: April 7, 2017
Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan Language: English
Author: Jonathan van Eerd
ISBN: 9783319508382
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Publication: April 7, 2017
Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan
Language: English

This book shows that democratization in sub-Saharan Africa can be successful, even if the government remains dominated by one major political party. If an institutionalized and strong opposition party – even when too weak to take power – challenges the dominant government party, the quality of democracy improves substantially. The comparative study demonstrates that competitive opposition parties in dominant party systems are rooted in the historical legacy of political cleavages related to de-colonization that precede the third wave of democratization of the 1990s and have survived the instability of post-independence political developments to the present day. The study covers 19 African countries and 55 elections overall, including four in-depth case studies of Botswana, Lesotho, Ghana and Mali. It offers scholars and practitioners of electoral democracies and competitive authoritarian regimes a novel view on the role of party systems in processes of democratization. It makes an important contribution to the general literature on state building intertwined with democratization and representation in old and new democracies.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book shows that democratization in sub-Saharan Africa can be successful, even if the government remains dominated by one major political party. If an institutionalized and strong opposition party – even when too weak to take power – challenges the dominant government party, the quality of democracy improves substantially. The comparative study demonstrates that competitive opposition parties in dominant party systems are rooted in the historical legacy of political cleavages related to de-colonization that precede the third wave of democratization of the 1990s and have survived the instability of post-independence political developments to the present day. The study covers 19 African countries and 55 elections overall, including four in-depth case studies of Botswana, Lesotho, Ghana and Mali. It offers scholars and practitioners of electoral democracies and competitive authoritarian regimes a novel view on the role of party systems in processes of democratization. It makes an important contribution to the general literature on state building intertwined with democratization and representation in old and new democracies.

More books from Springer International Publishing

Cover of the book Active Interrogation in Nuclear Security by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Rethinking 21st Century Diversity in Teacher Preparation, K-12 Education, and School Policy by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Security and Privacy for Mobile Healthcare Networks by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Econophysics and Data Driven Modelling of Market Dynamics by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Biomarkers of the Tumor Microenvironment by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Reversibility and Universality by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Gender and Choice after Socialism by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Human Friendly Robotics by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book The Science of Human Evolution by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Smart Cities in the Mediterranean by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Giant Intracranial Aneurysms by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Languages for Specific Purposes in the Digital Era by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book New Knowledge in Information Systems and Technologies by Jonathan van Eerd
Cover of the book Credit Correlation by Jonathan van Eerd
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy