The Fate of Africa's Democratic Experiments: Elites and Institutions / Edition 1

by Leonardo A. Villal n, Peter VonDoepp

Overview

Does Western-style democracy make sense in the various geographic, economic, and social settings of the continent? How far toward democracy have recent liberalization movements gone? In The Fate of Africa's Democratic Experiments, Leonardo A. Villalón, Peter VonDoepp, and an international group of contributors consider the aftermath, success, failure, and future of the wave of democracy that swept Africa in the early 1990s. In some countries, democratic movements flourished, while in others, democratic success was more circumscribed. This detailed analysis of key political events in countries at the forefront of democratic change—Benin, Central African Republic, Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, and Zambia—provides for broadly representative continental and linguistic coverage of directions and prospects for Africa's democracies.

The contributors are Michael Chege, John F. Clark, Joshua B. Forrest, Abdourahmane Idrissa, Bruce Magnusson, Carrie Manning, Richard R. Marcus, Andreas Mehler, David J. Simon, Leonardo A. Villalón, and Peter VonDoepp.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253217646
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	09/01/2005
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Leonardo A. Villalón is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the African Studies Center at the University of Florida.

Peter VonDoepp is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of North Texas.

Table of Contents

Contents
Preface

1. Elites, Institutions, and the Varied Trajectories of Africa's Third Wave DemocraciesPeter VonDoepp and Leonardo A. Villalón
2. Repetitive Breakdowns and a Decade of Experimentation: Institutional Choices and Unstable Democracy in NigerLeonardo A. Villalón and Abdourahmane Idrissa
3. The Tribulations of a Successful Transition: Institutional Dynamics and Elite Rivalry in MaliLeonardo A. Villalón and Abdourahmane Idrissa
4. Democratic Legitimacy in Benin: Institutions and Identity in a Regional ContextBruce A. Magnusson
5. The Collapse of the Democratic Experiment in the Republic of Congo: A Thick DescriptionJohn F. Clark
6. The Shaky Foundations, Adverse Circumstances, and Limited Achievements of Democratic Transition in the Central African RepublicAndreas Mehler
7. The Fate of Madagascar's Democracy: Following the Rules while Eroding the SubstanceRichard R. Marcus
8. Institutions, Resources, and Elite Strategies: Making Sense of Malawi's Democratic TrajectoryPeter VonDoepp
9. Democracy Unrealized: Zambia's Third Republic under Frederick ChilubaDavid J. Simon
10. Assessing Adaptation to Democratic Politics in Mozambique: The Case of FrelimoCarrie Manning
11. Democratization in a Divided Urban Political Culture: Guinea-BissauJoshua B. Forrest
12. Democratic Governance in Africa at the Start of the Twenty-first Century: Lessons of ExperienceMichael Chege

References
List of Contributors
Index

Editorial Reviews

". . . [a] stimulating collection."—African Studies Review

From the Publisher

. . . [a] stimulating collection.

African Studies Review

What has happened to the African countries that underwent democratization efforts in the early 1990s? There is a remarkable, if not necessarily surprising, dearth of media and scholarly analysis of the politics of African countries that are not embroiled in civil wars or plagued by famine or run by presidents who are appropriating the land of white settlers. The general introduction of multiparty electoral politics across the region in the early 1990s led to a period of dynamic if volatile change in the region that is both fascinating and essential to understanding Africa's future. This excellent collection of country case studies focuses on the ten African countries that can claim to have passed from authoritarian to democratic rule more than a decade ago. Democratic rule has truly taken hold in some, but in others, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the democratic experiment ended quickly in murderous civil war. The sensible introduction and conclusion to the volume attempt to generalize from the disparate outcomes of these case studies — an objective not fully realized, although each chapter provides important clues.

Foreign Affairs