Democratization in Late Twentieth-Century Africa - Coping with Uncertainty

Few would disagree that since 1990 Sub-Saharan Africa has undergone a process of political transformation. Where one-party systems once stood, multi-parties are now dominant; where heads of state once ruled autocratically, open elections have emerged. In this study, both African and non-African scholars take a critical look at the evolution and contradictions of democratization in seven African nations: Malawi, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Ghana, and Gabon, each at a different stage in the democratization process.

Some of these countries historically have not received much attention in North America. For example, little is known about Malawi, and Gabon has escaped notice outside the Francophone world. While other works have focused primarily upon the role that institutions have played in the democratization process, this study looks at individual leaders. Some of the authors were themselves participants in the reform movements in their home countries, and they examine the role that the military and the church played in the process. This volume also includes a discussion of why democratization has stagnated or been reversed in some nations.

List of contents

Preface
Introduction: Understanding Democratization by Jean-Germain Gros
Democratization in Malawi: Its Roots and Prospects by Sam A. Mchombo
Cameroon: A Flawed Transition to Democracy by Tatah Mentan
Nigeria: Militarization and Perpetual Transition by Julius O. Ihonvbere
Democracy, State-Building, and "Nations" in Ethiopia: 1974-95 by Kassahun Berhanu
Leadership and Democratization: The Case of Tanzania by Jean-Germain Gros
Elections and Democratic Transition in Ghana: 1991-96 by Kwamina Panford
The Irony of Wealth: Democratization in Gabon by Nelson N. Messone and Jean-Germain Gros
Bibliography
Index

About the author

Jean-Germa Gros

Product details

• Authors: Jean-Germa Gros
• Assisted by: Jean-Germain Gros (Editor)
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 24.09.1998
• EAN: 9780313307935
• ISBN: 978-0-313-30793-5
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; Nigeria, Ghana, Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / General, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Democracy, Tanzania, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / African, Malawi, HISTORY / Africa / West, HISTORY / Africa / East, HISTORY / Africa / Central, HISTORY / Africa / South / General, Political structures: democracy, Later 20th century c 1950 to c 1999, African History, c 1970 to c 1979, c 1970 to c 1980, c 1990 to c 2000, c 1990 to c 1999, C 1980 To C 1990, c 1980 to c 1989, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Gabon, Politics, Law, and Government