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State building and democratization in Africa rarely attract the attention they deserve. Few have grappled with the relationship between state building (nation-building) and democratic experiments in Africa. This collection consciously corrects this shortcoming in African political studies. Among the issues raised: Does democracy facilitate state building or does it exacerbate ethnic conflicts? Are certain modalities of democratization more likely to facilitate state-building than others? Has the era of democracy created the need for new state building strategies? Does the objective of state building require significant modifications in the essence and form of democracy?
This collection combines theoretical explorations with empirical case studies. It looks at both anglophone and francophone countries of sub-Saharan Africa. While the contributors have written extensively on African issues, there is no consensus among the authors; most argue that integrating ethnic groups that already face discrimination and often are engaged in conflict requires compromise, political settlements, and new terms of incorporation into the state. These compromises, in turn, involve new arrangements in how democracy is perceived and instituted. An important collection for scholars, students, and other researchers involved with African political, social, and economic development.
List of contents
Introduction: Why State Building Is Still Relevant in Africa and How It Relates to Democratization by Kidane Mengisteab and Cyril Daddieh
Relations between Democratization and State Building in Africa: Theoretical AnalysisDemocratization and State Building in Africa: How Compatible Are They? by Kidane Mengisteab
"For Fear of Being Condemned as Old Fashioned": Liberal Democracy vs. Popular Democracy in Sub-Saharan Africa by John S. Saul
Nation Building and State Disintegration by Marina Ottaway
Democratization and State Building: Country ExperiencesMilitarization and Democratization: Nigeria's Stalled March to Democracy by Julius O. Ihonvbere
Economic Reform and Political Liberalization in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire: A Preliminary Assessment of Implications for Nation Building by E. Gyimah-Boadi and Cyril Daddieh
Ethnicity and Democratization in Congo and Chad (1945-1995) by Mario J. Azevedo
Civil Society, Democratization and State Building in Kenya and Tanzania by Julius E. Nyang'oro
Re-making the State: Assessing South Africa's Developmental Agenda by Larry A. Swatuk
Ethiopia: Missed Opportunities for Peaceful Democratic Process by Mohammed Hassen
Somalia: Problems and Prospects for Democratization by Hussein M. Adam
Selected Bibliography
Index
About the Contributors
About the author
KIDANE MENGISTEAB is an Assistant Professor at Old Dominion University. He is the author of several articles on agricultural development in Africa and on Africa's food crisis.
