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democracy

Neighbours and family first : donors should consider the effects of political favouritism in Africa

Upphovsperson: Isaksson, Ann-Sofie
Utgivare: Uppsala
År: 2015
Ämnesord: Africa South of Sahara, democracy, Ethnicity, Ethnic groups, Foreign aid, Social inequality, Ethnic favouritism, Regional favouritism
In many African countries it is a known fact that a person belonging to the same ethnic group as the president is less likely to be treated unfairly by the government. The same is valid for people living in the president’s home region, regardless of their ethnic affiliation. Ethnic and regional favouritism are two distinct but parallel problems. This Policy Note, drawn from data involving 20 000 citizens in 15 African countries, explore the scope of favouritism and its implications for citizens and democratic attitudes.

Election-Related Violence : The Case of Ghana

Upphovsperson: Amankwaah, Clementina
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Conflict, Displacement and Transformation |
År: 2013
Ämnesord: Ghana, elections, Electoral systems, Voting, Political violence, Ethnicity, politics, political parties, democracy
This Current African Issue gives an overview of the causes and experiences of electionrelated violence in relation to patronage politics in Ghana. Ghana has been framed b ythe international community as a unique bastion of democracy and peace on the African continent. Nevertheless, the country has come from a military regime like many of its democratic African counterparts and is still prone to some of the problems faced by its more turbulent neighbours. The three main guiding issues that this publication will address in relation to election-related violence in Ghana are: The causes of election-related violence in Ghana Who the people most likely to cause election-related violence are The role that “big men” play in election-related violence

Albert Luthuli and Dag Hammarskjöld - Leaders and Visionaries

Medarbetare: Sellström, Tor
Utgivare: Uppsala, Sweden : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet; Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation; The Luthuli Museum
År: 2012
Ämnesord: national liberation movements, Political leadership, anti-apartheid activists, Human rights, democracy, International relations, UN, Nobel prizes, South Africa, SOCIAL SCIENCES, SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP
Two symposia in Uppsala and Oslo during November 2011 marked the 50th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Chief Albert Luthuli and Dag Hammarskjöld at the same ceremony for 1960 and (posthumously) 1961, respectively. The deliberations, which involved close family members of the late Chief Luthuli, commemorated and honoured two outstanding leaders of the 20th century. While they never met personally, they shared principle values and ethics rooted in a firm belief in the equality of people, humanrights, justice and peace at a time of decolonization and apartheid. This booklet compiles a summary of the various presentations in Uppsala and Oslo, which paid respect to the two role models in their relevance also for today. It is published during the year, in which the two Uppsala based institutions celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Endangered democracy? : The struggle over secularism and its implications for politics and democracy in Nigeria

Upphovspersoner: Tar, Usman A. | Shettima, Abba Gana
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Conflict, Displacement and Transformation | Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2010
Ämnesord: politics, Religion, Secularism, State, Political power, democracy, Islam, Christianity, Cultural pluralism, Religious groups, Political conflicts, Nigeria, Political science, Statsvetenskap
This Discussion Paper critically examines the pivotal role religion plays in Nigerian politics, particularly as it relates to the ways Islamic and Christian identities have been manipulated by competing political elites in their struggle for power. It provides a concise but well-informed history of the evolution of the religious factor in politics and its adverse implications for Nigeria’s democracy. Its point of departure is a critique of the notion of a secular Nigerian state (as prescribed by the constitution), which shows how governments and politicians have taken advantage of constitutional loop holes and used state resources to foster the politicisation of religion, with serious consequences for society at large. Some of the adverse consequences identified include religious conflict, political instability, insecurity and the undermining of the country’s democracy and development. The study carefully peels away the outward display of religious piety by political elites and leaders to reveal some of the underlying personal and narrow calculations. Over time, these calculations have eroded the social elements binding relations in a multi ethnic, multi-religious setting such as Nigeria, and there have been periodic explosions of sectarian and communal violence in various parts of the country. The authors show how the politicisation and ethnicisation of religious differences have further fuelled conflict between competing groups and geopolitical interests in Nigeria and raised serious questions for Nigeria’s democracy, development and the nation-state project. While noting that religion cannot be completely de-linked from politics, the study proffers some suggestions to begin to address and reverse the adverse effects of the intrusion of religion into democratic politics in Nigeria, Africa’s largest country and leading oil producer.

Votes, money and violence : political parties and elections in Sub-Saharan Africa

Medarbetare: Basedau, Matthias | Erdmann, Gero | Mehler, Andreas
Utgivare: Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet ; Kwazulu-Natal Press, South Africa
År: 2007
Ämnesord: elections, Electoral systems, political parties, democracy, Political systems, Political pluralism, Multipartyism, Africa South of Sahara, Political science, Statsvetenskap
Following the (re-)introduction of multiparty systems in Africa in the early 1990s, third and fourth elections in Africa's new democracies and hybrid regimes are now being seen. Although there is a large and growing literature on democracy and elections in Africa, parties and party systems have hitherto not been the focus of research, which may be surprising given their central role in a liberal democracy. The early works from the 1960s and 1970s provide neither a sound conceptual nor empirical basis. Research on political parties and party systems in Africa is still in its infancy. Various contributions in this volume address the theoretical and conceptual challenges provided by the African parties and party systems with their particular features of weak organisation, informal relationships dominated by 'big men' and clientelism within a neopatrimonial setting. Others raise the crucial question of representation in relation to ethnicity, civil society and gender, or look into the empirical relationship between party systems and democracy. Further chapters ask questions about the appropriate electoral system for the multiethnic context in Africa and deal with the problem of electoral system reform. Finally, there are chapters which focus on the neglected area of electoral violence, and the moral role of money and vote buying is scrutinized through a case study. An important conclusion is that party research in Africa needs more conceptual clarity as well as empirical research particularly on party organisation, voting behaviour, and the role of ethnicity.

Media and democracy in Africa

Medarbetare: Hydén, Göran | Leslie, Michael | Ogundimu, Folu Folarin
Utgivare: Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet; Transaction publishers
År: 2002
Ämnesord: media, democracy, political development, Political science, Statsvetenskap
MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA provides the first comprehensive and up-to-date assessment of the role of the media in political change in sub-Saharan Africa. The central argument of the volume is that while the media may still be relatively weak compared to their positions in liberal democracies, they have come to play a much more important role than ever before since independence. This volume shows that the media scene in Africa is diverse. It stretches from the well-developed and technologically advanced situation in South Africa to the still fledgling media operations that are typical in sub-Saharan Africa. In these countries, print media as well as television and radio are just beginning to take their place in society and do so using simple and often outdated technology. MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA is organized to provide a historical perspective on the evolution of the African media, placing the present in the context of the past, including both colonial and post-colonial experiences. It will be of interest to Africa area specialists, students of media and communications, political scientists and sociologists.

The Elite as a Critical Factor in National Development : The case of Botswana

Upphovspersoner: Sebudubudu, David | Molutsi, Patrick
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Conflict, Displacement and Transformation | Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2011
Ämnesord: Botswana, Ruling class, Elite, leadership, Governance, Political stability, democracy, Economic performance, Development planning, Economic and social development, Political science, Statsvetenskap
The Discussion Paper provides insightful explanations for Botswana’s emergence as one of Africa’s developmental success stories. It underscores the role of the ruling elite coalition in shaping the particular kind of politics, inclusive policies, consensus, partnerships and vision that have contributed to the emergence of Botswana as a democratic developmental state. This is an important paper that should be read by all those keen to understand how Botswana has managed to avoid the ‘natural resource curse’ and stand out as a model of democratic stability and sustained economic growth in Africa.

Democratic Governance and Accountability in Africa : In Search of a Workable Framework

Upphovsperson: Olukoshi, Adebayo O.
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Conflict, Displacement and Transformation | Uppsala : Nordiska Afrikainstitutet
År: 2011
Ämnesord: Africa, political development, Democratization, Political pluralism, political reform, democracy, Governance, Institutional framework, constitutions, Political science, Statsvetenskap
This Discussion Paper provides a thought-provoking and radical intervention into the ongoing debates on democratic governance and accountability in Africa. The author undertakes a critical overview of the discourse on democratisation in Africa and notes that democracy on the continent cannot be fully understood on the basis of the ways in which electoral pluralism has played out in the last 20 years. The paper critiques mainstream explanations and points out their shortcomings. It goes on to make a compelling case for an alternative framework based on historically informed dialectical analysis of everyday democracy and struggles for democracy in Africa. Noting that no two democracies are exactly the same, the paper advocates the need for democracy in Africa to be studied on its own terms, and in a way that facilitates taking the African experience into the global arena to produce a truly comparative theory of democratisation on a world scale. The paper is essential reading for all those interested in the history, present and future of democracy in Africa.

Electoral Democratisation in Post-Civil War Guinea-Bissau 1999 - 2008

Upphovsperson: Rudebeck, Lars
Utgivare: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Conflict, Displacement and Transformation | Uppsala
År: 2011
Ämnesord: Guinea-Bissau, Post-conflict reconstruction, Democratization, elections, political parties, political participation, democracy, Political conditions, Economic conditions, Political science, Statsvetenskap
This Discussion Paper provides a profound analysis of the theory of democratisation as applied in a post-conflict West African context. It includes a compelling analysis of ‘democratisation without development’ in Guinea-Bissau and lays the groundwork for what is to be done to facilitate democratic transformation in the country. This is a must-read for scholars, policy and development practitioners and activists keen on understanding the immediate background to the current challenges facing Guinea-Bissau and their possible resolution.

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