Routledge Handbook of Democratization in Africa

Description

This volume explores the issues and debates surrounding the ongoing processes of democratization in sub-Saharan Africa, illuminating the central dynamics characterizing Africa’s democratic experiments, and considering the connections between democratization and economic, social, and cultural developments on the continent. Reflecting the diverse and rich nature of this field of study, the Handbook of Democratization in Africa features more than thirty contributions structured into six thematic sections: The politics and paths of regime development Institutional dynamics Political mobilization and voting dynamics The politics of identity Social forces from below The consequences of democracy. Chapters offer overviews of the key scholarship on particular topics, including central insights from the latest research, and provide suggestions for those interested in further inquiry. The material includes attention to broad cross-continental patterns, for example with respect to public opinion, political violence, or the role of different institutions and actors. It also includes rich case material, drawing on and highlighting the experiences of a diverse collection of countries. Encouraging a comprehensive view of key concerns and enhancing understanding of particular issues, the Handbook of Democratization in Africa represents a critical resource for experts and students of African politics, democratization, and African studies. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Information Table of contents Illustrations List of Contributors Acknowledgments Introduction: Democracy in practice—diversity and complexity The significance of elections The role of institutions Diverse actors Democracy and “the people” Conclusion: democratic realities Notes References Part I The politics and paths of regime development 1 Neopatrimonialism and democracy Democracy with one adjective Neopatrimonial democracy? Measuring neopatrimonialism How neopatrimonial are African regimes? Regional trends Variation across African countries Neopatrimonialism across regime types Does neopatrimonialism constrain democracy? Conclusion Notes References 2 Pathways to democracy Approaches to path dependency The 1990s as a critical juncture Transitions reevaluated Conclusion Notes References 3 Post-conflict democratization and power-sharing Setting the contexts The problems of power-sharing Elite-centrism Sidelining of political parties Unintended consequences of both temporary and permanent power-sharing Creation of perverse incentives to engage violently in politics Conclusion Notes References 4 The impact of foreign aid The conditional political impacts of foreign aid Foreign aid as incumbency support The rise of democracy assistance The decline and fall of political conditionality Towards neo-modernization theory? Conclusion References 5 Natural resources Conceptualizing the oil–politics nexus Oil politics in Nigeria The militarization of oil politics in the Niger Delta Oil politics and civil society Conclusion References Part II Institutional dynamics 6 Federalism and devolution The promise of decentralization The decentralization experiment in Africa Decentralization undermined Political interference with decentralization Decentralization to recentralize power Ethnicizing the polity Conclusion Notes References 7 The struggle for presidential term limits Evolution of term limits The effects of presidential term limits on African politics The campaigns against term limits Arguments for removing term limits Outcomes of the efforts to remove term limits The future of term limits in Africa Conclusion Notes References 8 Executive power and horizontal accountability Horizontal accountability Insights on horizontal accountability Benin Ghana Liberia Malawi The way forward on executive power and horizontal accountability Note References 9 The politics of legislative development Colonial origins of territorial legislatures Making imported legislatures work under autocracy African legislatures since 1990 Conclusion Notes References 10 Judicial power The mixed record of African judiciaries Perspectives on the empowerment of African courts External accounts: formal rules and political strategy Internal accounts: judicial strategy and norms Towards a historical understanding of judicial power Thinking about judges, off-bench activities, and informal networks Conclusion Notes References 11 Militaries The military’s role in launching democratization Democratization by coup? Democratization by defection? Civil–military pathologies in fledgling African democracies Continued coup threat Faustian bargains Authoritarian legacies Democratic consolidation and the challenge of reform Conclusion Notes References 12 Electoral administration The origins and diffusion of electoral management bodies in Africa Electoral bodies in Africa: types and impact on democratization Classifying electoral bodies Electoral bodies and democratization: case studies Electoral bodies in their environment Côte d’Ivoire 2010: organizing presidential elections in a violent political context Conclusion Notes References Part III Political mobilization and voting dynamics 13 Voting behavior How do voters decide? Ethnicity Preferences and transaction costs Ethnic cues Testing and measuring ethnic voting Performance and policy Retrospective evaluations Prospective evaluations Testing and measuring performance voting Data and methodology Quantitative analyses Experimental analyses Qualitative analyses Conclusion Notes References 14 Clientelism The many faces of clientelism Brokers and networks in political clientelism Democratization and the need to look beyond vote buying Patronage and prebendalism in emerging African democracies Overcoming clientelism: deliberation, information, and institutions Conclusion Notes References 15 Campaign strategies The actors Types of campaign strategies Campaign rallies Door-to-door canvassing Interactions with community leaders and organizations Campaign advertising through new and traditional media “Vote buying” and clientelism Violence and voter intimidation Communication strategies Incumbent versus opposition party strategies Conclusion Notes References 16 Political parties and party systems Party system characteristics Fragmentation Institutionalization Polarization The reliability of flexible party systems Party typologies and the persistence of the ethnic narrative Prospects of programmatic political parties in Africa Conclusion Notes References 17 Opposition coalitions Why coalesce? Coalitions literature in established democracies Coalitions literature in Africa Electoral systems Ethnicity Methodological considerations Coalitions and democratization in Africa Conclusion Notes References 18 The use of electoral violence Measuring electoral violence Measurement issues Causes: root and proximate The electoral cycle and violence The pre-election period The election period The post-election period Effectiveness of election violence and consequences for democratic development Preventing electoral violence Changing attitudes Reinforcing institutional capacity Election monitoring Conclusion Notes References Part IV The politics of identity 19 Christianity and democracy The mission churches: the push for multiparty democracy and beyond Political engagement by Pentecostals Political actors embrace Pentecostal language and rituals Pentecostals in the political sphere Conclusion Notes References 20 Islam and democracy Perceptions of Islam and democracy in Africa Do Muslims support democracy? Islam, secularism, and legacies of state control “Democratizing” the Muslim public sphere or promoting radicalization? Conclusion Notes References 21 Gender politics Political liberalization and women’s role in politics Regime type and women’s descriptive representation Beyond the legislature Competitive elections and persistent barriers to gender parity Political party bias and candidate selection Socioeconomic status Sociocultural norms Quotas and substantive representation for women in African democracies Conclusion Notes References 22 Ethnic politics Understanding and measuring ethnic politics The political salience of ethnic identities Limitations of non-ethnic mobilization strategies The appeal of ethnic mobilization Variation in ethnic politics across Africa Conclusion Notes References 23 Generational dynamics and youth politics Youth, nationalism, and postcolonial politics Incorporating the youth into democracy The impact(s) of youth incorporation The youth and political party growth Promoting democratic quality Human rights Equality/inclusion Accountability Responsiveness Participation Marginalized youth, popular politics, and the threat of violence Youth, protests, and deeper accountability The dangers of violence Conclusion Notes References Part V Social forces from below 24 Public opinion and democratic legitimacy Do Africans want democracy? Cross-national variation What do Africans understand as “democracy”? Open-ended questions Closed-ended questions Forced choices among proffered definitions Where does demand for democracy come from? Demand for democracy over time Do Africans think they are getting democracy? Dissatisfied democrats Conclusion Notes References 25 Civil society Civil society and the democratization of Africa: revisiting the 1990s Civil society in the contemporary context Does civil society matter? The limits of civil society The meta critique remains Ongoing conceptual and analytical challenges Some pathways forward Conclusion References 26 Digital media, networked spaces, and politics Digital media and citizen engagement Critiquing Africa’s digital media and network spaces State response to the politics of cyberspace Conclusion References 27 Popular protest and accountability The third wave of protest in Africa Pitfalls of interpreting contemporary African protests Revolutions without revolutionaries? Advice for policymakers Conclusion Notes References 28 Urban politics Urbanization and inequality Urbanization and democratization Voting behavior and protests Politician responses Decentralization and party contestation Variations in decentralized institutions Cities as a stronghold for opposition parties Intergovernmental relations and urban service delivery Strategies of subversion Implications for urban development and service delivery Conclusion Notes References Part VI The consequences of democracy 29 Economic growth and development Regimes and development in the African context The democratic wave and economic change Understanding the relationships between regimes and development The development regime debate redux Conclusion Notes References 30 Corruption Definitions in the midst of competing normative orders The public domain in African politics What corruption is, and is not Democratization and corruption Conclusion Notes References 31 Sexual minority rights Sexual minorities: past and present Factors driving homophobia The case of Ghana Using the law courts as a safeguarding strategy Conclusion Note References 32 Citizenship Exclusionary citizenship: governing through political instrumentalization Normative citizenship: making the good citizen Insurgent citizenship: holding the state to account? Conclusion References Index