Overview

At a time when democracy seems to be in retreat in many parts of the world, Africa presents a more mixed picture. A number of African countries have been convulsed by high-profile crises, while others have quietly continued making progress on the difficult path toward democratic stability. Democratization in Africa: Progress and Retreat brings into focus the complex landscape of African politics by pairing broad analytical surveys with country-specific case studies-most previously published in the Journal of Democracy and all written by prominent Africanists with deep knowledge of the continent and their subject countries. Thematic chapters address some of the major forces working for and against African democracy: the phenomenon of ""frontier Africa""; presidentialism; the rise of independent legislatures; the rule of law versus the ""big man""; the institutionalization of political power; the decline of military coups; the paradox of growth without prosperity; and the roles of formal and informal institutions. Countries examined include Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Democratization in Africa: Progress and Retreat is an essential primer for students of African politics and those interested in the future of democracy around the world. Contributors: Kate Baldwin, Joel D. Barkan, Michael Bratton, Michael Chege, John F. Clark, Larry Diamond, Steven Friedman, Kenneth Good, E. Gyimah-Boadi, Barak Hoffman, Richard Joseph, Seth Kaplan, Maina Kiai, Peter Lewis, Eldred Masunungure, Penda Mbow, Andrew M. Mwenda, Dave Peterson, Daniel N. Posner, H. Kwasi Prempeh, Lindsay Robinson, Paula Cristina Roque, Rotimi T. Suberu, Herbert F. Weiss, Christopher Wyrod, Daniel J. Young

Full Product Details

Author:   Larry Diamond (Director, Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law, Stanford University) ,  Marc F. Plattner (Editor, National Endowment for Democracy) ,  Kate Baldwin ,  Joel D. Barkan
Publisher:   Johns Hopkins University Press
Imprint:   Johns Hopkins University Press
Edition:   second edition
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 3.00cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.658kg
ISBN:  

9780801894831

ISBN 10:   0801894832
Pages:   392
Publication Date:   24 May 2010
Recommended Age:   From 13
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.

Table of Contents

"Acknowledgements Introduction Part I: Progress and Retreat in Africa Chapter 1. Challenges of a ""Frontier"" Region Chapter 2. Presidents Untamed Chapter 3. Legislatures on the Rise? Chapter 4. The Rule of Law versus the Big Man Chapter 5. The Institutionalization of Political Power in Africa Chapter 6. The Decline of the African Military Coup Chapter 7. Growth Without Prosperity in Africa Chapter 8. Formal versus Informal Institutions in Africa Part II: West Africa Chapter 9. Nigeria's Muddled Elections Chapter 10. Another Step Forward for Ghana Chapter 11. Senegal: The Return of Personalism Chapter 12. Sierra Leone: A Vote for Better Governance Chapter 13. Liberia Starts Over Part III: East Africa Chapter 14. Kenya: Back from the Brink? Chapter 15. The Crisis in Kenya Chapter 16. Tanzania's Missing Opposition Chapter 17. Personalizing Power in Uganda Chapter 18. The Remarkable Story of Somaliland Part IV: Southern and Central Africa Chapter 19. An Accidental Advance? South Africa's 2009 Elections Chapter 20. The Illusion of Democracy in Botswana Chapter 21. Zambia: One Party in Perpetuity? Chapter 22. Voting for Change in the DRC Chapter 23. Angola's Façade Democracy Chapter 24. Zimbabwe's Long Agony Index"

Reviews

The collection is representative of African politics and will serve the needs of faculty, especially for undergraduate courses. Choice Given its broad sweep of anglophone Africa, highly readable style, balanced perspectives, and penetrating analysis, this volume represents an important contribution to the field and a valuable resource for students wishing to comprehend the seemingly contradictory outcomes associated with African democratisation. -- Ian Cooper Journal of Modern African Studies Rich accounts of democracy's progress and retreat in Africa. -- Inge Amundsen African Studies Review [An] excellent collection. -- Susanne D. Mueller International Journal of African Historical Studies

<p>Given its broad sweep of anglophone Africa, highly readable style, balanced perspectives, and penetrating analysis, this volume represents an important contribution to the field and a valuable resource for students wishing to comprehend the seemingly contradictory outcomes associated with African democratisation.--Ian Cooper Journal of Modern African Studies (01/01/2011)

Author Information

Larry Diamond is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University, where he also directs the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. Marc F. Plattner is vice president for research and studies at the National Endowment for Democracy, where he directs the International Forum for Democratic Studies. They serve as coeditors of the Journal of Democracy.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

No review item found!

Add your own review!

Countries Available

All regions