Democracy
EGERTON UNIVERSITY
JAMES AKOYO ABISAI
REG. NO. AM17/0251/12
TERM PAPER TOPIC: DEMOCRATIZATION IN AFRICA
SUBMITTED TO: DR.OSAMBA
23RD NOVEMBER 2012
DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA
Professor Ben O. Nwabueze 's book, Democratization (Nwabueze 1993), is the best place to begin for a wide-ranging and textured examination of democratization in African societies. "Democratization is not only a concept, nor is it synonymous with multi-partyism," Nwabueze writes, "it is also concerned with certain conditions of things, conditions such as a virile civil society, a democratic society, a free society, a just society, equal treatment of all citizens by the state, an ordered, stable society, a society infused with the spirit of liberty, democracy, justice and equality." The stated thesis of Nwabueze 's book is that democratization, "in the fullest sense of the term, requires that the society, the economy, politics, the constitution of the state, the electoral system and the practice of government be democratized"
Africa’s contemporary democratization experience is a story of divergence. After decades of static autocratic dominance, the region shifted sharply toward representative government after the end of the Cold War. Led by Benin, South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, and Mali some 30 African countries have taken steps toward democracy over the past two decades. In 1989, only three African countries could claim democratic governments. This swing has been accompanied by an upsurge in the number of civil society organizations, independent media, and opportunities for political expression. Moreover, reflecting a maturity that scholars long deemed unrealistic in low-income countries, popular support for democracy in Africa remains strong, despite ongoing challenges.
Democratic progress in Africa is far from universal, however. A dozen autocratic governments remain firmly in place maintaining a monopoly on power and repressive practices little changed from the 1960s-1980s era of
JAMES AKOYO ABISAI
REG. NO. AM17/0251/12
TERM PAPER TOPIC: DEMOCRATIZATION IN AFRICA
SUBMITTED TO: DR.OSAMBA
23RD NOVEMBER 2012
DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA
Professor Ben O. Nwabueze 's book, Democratization (Nwabueze 1993), is the best place to begin for a wide-ranging and textured examination of democratization in African societies. "Democratization is not only a concept, nor is it synonymous with multi-partyism," Nwabueze writes, "it is also concerned with certain conditions of things, conditions such as a virile civil society, a democratic society, a free society, a just society, equal treatment of all citizens by the state, an ordered, stable society, a society infused with the spirit of liberty, democracy, justice and equality." The stated thesis of Nwabueze 's book is that democratization, "in the fullest sense of the term, requires that the society, the economy, politics, the constitution of the state, the electoral system and the practice of government be democratized"
Africa’s contemporary democratization experience is a story of divergence. After decades of static autocratic dominance, the region shifted sharply toward representative government after the end of the Cold War. Led by Benin, South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, and Mali some 30 African countries have taken steps toward democracy over the past two decades. In 1989, only three African countries could claim democratic governments. This swing has been accompanied by an upsurge in the number of civil society organizations, independent media, and opportunities for political expression. Moreover, reflecting a maturity that scholars long deemed unrealistic in low-income countries, popular support for democracy in Africa remains strong, despite ongoing challenges.
Democratic progress in Africa is far from universal, however. A dozen autocratic governments remain firmly in place maintaining a monopoly on power and repressive practices little changed from the 1960s-1980s era of
References: Barkan, Joel (1994) “Can Established Democracies Nurture Democracy Abroad? Lessons from Africa” Paper presented at the Nobel Symposium, Uppsala University, Sweden, August. Huntington, Samuel P. (1999) The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. Smith, B. C. (2003) Understanding Third World Politics 2nd Edition Basingstoke: Palgrave. Joseph, Richard (1997) “Democratization in Africa after 1989: Comparative and Theoretical Perspectives” Comparative Politics, Vol. 29, No. 3: 363-382 http://www.economist.com/node/14699869