Overview

Who are the swing voters in multiethnic democracies? How much effort do parties invest in courting the swing relative to mobilizing supporters in their core ethnic bases? And how does this balance affect the policies leaders propose - and implement - if elected? This book examines the logic of electoral competition and policymaking in the context of Kenya's emerging multiparty democracy. Using data on voters, campaigns, and policy outcomes, it shows that the pursuit of the swing encourages presidential candidates to offer broad, inclusive promises and for election winners to opt for universal policies that share benefits widely. In doing so, it challenges the view - common to both popular accounts and scholarly work - that where ethnicity is politically salient, multiparty competition inevitably leads parties to focus their electoral efforts on mobilizing narrow ethnic factions and to concentrate rewards on ethnic clientele. Oxford Studies in African Politics and International Relations is a series for scholars and students working on African politics and International Relations and related disciplines. Volumes concentrate on contemporary developments in African political science, political economy, and International Relations, such as electoral politics, democratization, decentralization, gender and political representation, the political impact of natural resources, the dynamics and consequences of conflict, comparative political thought, and the nature of the continent's engagement with the East and West. Comparative and mixed methods work is particularly encouraged, as is interdisciplinary research and work that considers ethical issues relating to the study of Africa. Case studies are welcomed but should demonstrate the broader theoretical and empirical implications of the study and its wider relevance to contemporary debates. The focus of the series is on sub-Saharan Africa, although proposals that explain how the region engages with North Africa and other parts of the world are of interest. Series Editors: Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy and International Development, University of Birmingham; Peace Medie, Senior Lecturer in Gender and International Politics, University of Bristol; and Ricardo Soares de Oliveira, Professor of the International Politics of Africa, University of Oxford.

Full Product Details

9780198852735

Table of Contents

Reviews

Using carefully collected data on voters and on the dominant discourse in recent campaigns, Horowitz shows that Kenyan elections are fought over swing voters, who are typically not co-ethnics of any of the major candidates. * Nicholas Van De Walle, Foreign Affairs * Multiethnic Democracy demonstrates the limitations of viewing politics in Africa solely through the lens of ethnicity. Horowitz shows that electoral campaigns revolve as much around universalistic appeals designed to capture ethnically-unaligned swing voters as they do around mobilizing candidates' ethnic bases. This results in public policies that are less shaped by communal concerns than is often assumed. For those interested in understanding the contours of contemporary African politics, this book is a must read. * Daniel N. Posner, James S. Coleman Professor of International Development, University of California, Los Angeles * In Multiethnic Democracy, Jeremy Horowitz provides new insights into electoral campaigns that will undoubtedly shape the emerging debate concerning Africa's ongoing democratization. The book's original empirical analyses - e.g., the location of campaign rallies, the content of campaign speeches, etc. - will turn this book into a model that other scholars will seek to emulate. And the book's clear prose makes its insights easily absorbed by a broad readership. I have no doubt that this work will be cited often by those who study Africa and multiethnic societies around the world. * Leonardo R. Arriola, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley * In Multiethnic Democracy, Jeremy Horowitz challenges the conventional wisdom that political competition in Kenya revolves solely around ethnic-based patronage and the forging of elite coalitions. Analyzing an impressive range of data sources, he shows that candidates also routinely engage in broad-based appeals, often favoring universal policies that benefit a wider range of citizens. His optimistic and nuanced portrait of how democratic incentives can foster normatively desirable outcomes rests on a foundation of solid empirical evidence with important implications for the study of African political development. * Evan S. Lieberman, Professor of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology *

Multiethnic Democracy demonstrates the limitations of viewing politics in Africa solely through the lens of ethnicity. Horowitz shows that electoral campaigns revolve as much around universalistic appeals designed to capture ethnically-unaligned swing voters as they do around mobilizing candidates' ethnic bases. This results in public policies that are less shaped by communal concerns than is often assumed. For those interested in understanding the contours of contemporary African politics, this book is a must read. * Daniel N. Posner, James S. Coleman Professor of International Development, University of California, Los Angeles * In Multiethnic Democracy, Jeremy Horowitz provides new insights into electoral campaigns that will undoubtedly shape the emerging debate concerning Africa's ongoing democratization. The book's original empirical analyses - e.g., the location of campaign rallies, the content of campaign speeches, etc. - will turn this book into a model that other scholars will seek to emulate. And the book's clear prose makes its insights easily absorbed by a broad readership. I have no doubt that this work will be cited often by those who study Africa and multiethnic societies around the world. * Leonardo R. Arriola, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley * In Multiethnic Democracy, Jeremy Horowitz challenges the conventional wisdom that political competition in Kenya revolves solely around ethnic-based patronage and the forging of elite coalitions. Analyzing an impressive range of data sources, he shows that candidates also routinely engage in broad-based appeals, often favoring universal policies that benefit a wider range of citizens. His optimistic and nuanced portrait of how democratic incentives can foster normatively desirable outcomes rests on a foundation of solid empirical evidence with important implications for the study of African political development. * Evan S. Lieberman, Professor of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology *

Author Information

Jeremy Horowitz is an Assistant Professor of Government at Dartmouth College. His research focuses on electoral politics and policymaking in Africa's emerging democracies. He has published in numerous scholarly journals such as Comparative Political Studies, Political Behaviour, Electoral Studies, and the British Journal of Political Science.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available