Africa in Search of Democracy

Africa in Search of Democracy PDF Author: K. A. Busia
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000868745
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 135

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Book Description
Originally published in 1967, reissued now with a new introduction, Africa in Search of Democracy in the author’s words was ‘a humble contribution to Africa’s search for political wisdom whereby to avoid destruction’. Written by the author during his time in voluntary exile, he was leader of the Parliamentary Opposition and of the United Party in Ghana which opposed the tyrannical rule of Nkrumah and his Convention People’s Party. In this book he proposed to examine the problems facing contemporary Africa within the context of the search for democracy; that is, for the establishment of societies which provide the best possible conditions for individual as well as social development within the widest measure of democratic freedom. The burning questions of nation building, of modernization, of raising standards of living, of achieving African unity, or harmonizing race relations and world peace, are discussed in relation to the quest for democracy.

Africa in Search of Democracy

Africa in Search of Democracy PDF Author: K. A. Busia
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1000868745
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 135

Get Book

Book Description
Originally published in 1967, reissued now with a new introduction, Africa in Search of Democracy in the author’s words was ‘a humble contribution to Africa’s search for political wisdom whereby to avoid destruction’. Written by the author during his time in voluntary exile, he was leader of the Parliamentary Opposition and of the United Party in Ghana which opposed the tyrannical rule of Nkrumah and his Convention People’s Party. In this book he proposed to examine the problems facing contemporary Africa within the context of the search for democracy; that is, for the establishment of societies which provide the best possible conditions for individual as well as social development within the widest measure of democratic freedom. The burning questions of nation building, of modernization, of raising standards of living, of achieving African unity, or harmonizing race relations and world peace, are discussed in relation to the quest for democracy.

Africa in Search of Democracy

Africa in Search of Democracy PDF Author: Kofi A. Busia
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description


Africa in Search of Democracy

Africa in Search of Democracy PDF Author: Kofi Abrefa Busia
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 189

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Book Description


In Search of Democracy

In Search of Democracy PDF Author: Larry Diamond
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317411366
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 471

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Book Description
This book evaluates the global status and prospects of democracy, with an emphasis on the quality of democratic institutions and the effectiveness of governance as key conditions for stable democracy. Bringing together a wide range of the author’s work over the past three decades, it advances a framework for assessing the quality of democracy and it analyzes alternative measures of democracy. Drawing on the most recent data from Freedom House, it assesses the global state of democracy and freedom, as of the beginning of 2015, and it explains why the world has been experiencing a mild but now deepening recession of democracy and freedom since 2005. A major theme of the book across the three decades of the author’s work is the relationship between democratic quality and stability. Democracies break down, Diamond argues, not so much because of economic factors but because of corrupt, inept governance that violates individual rights and the rule of law. The best way to secure democracy is to ensure that democracy is accountable, transparent, genuinely competitive, respectful of individual rights, inclusive of diverse forms and sources of participation, and responsive to the needs and aspirations of ordinary citizens. Viable democracy requires not only a state that can mobilize power to achieve collective goals, but also one that can restrain and punish the abuse of power—a particularly steep challenge for poor countries and those with natural resource wealth. The book examines these themes both in broad comparative perspective and with a deeper analysis of historical trends and future prospects in Africa and Asia,. Concluding with lessons for sustaining and reforming policies to promote democracy internationally, this book is essential reading for students and scholars interested in democracy, as well as politics and international relations more generally.

Democracy in Africa

Democracy in Africa PDF Author: Nic Cheeseman
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1316239489
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 269

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Book Description
This book provides the first comprehensive overview of the history of democracy in Africa and explains why the continent's democratic experiments have so often failed, as well as how they could succeed. Nic Cheeseman grapples with some of the most important questions facing Africa and democracy today, including whether international actors should try and promote democracy abroad, how to design political systems that manage ethnic diversity, and why democratic governments often make bad policy decisions. Beginning in the colonial period with the introduction of multi-party elections and ending in 2013 with the collapse of democracy in Mali and South Sudan, the book describes the rise of authoritarian states in the 1970s; the attempts of trade unions and some religious groups to check the abuse of power in the 1980s; the remarkable return of multiparty politics in the 1990s; and finally, the tragic tendency for elections to exacerbate corruption and violence.

Democracy and Elections in Africa

Democracy and Elections in Africa PDF Author: Staffan I. Lindberg
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801883323
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
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Africa's Media, Democracy and the Politics of Belonging

Africa's Media, Democracy and the Politics of Belonging PDF Author: Francis B. Nyamnjoh
Publisher: Zed Books
ISBN: 9781842775837
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 322

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Book Description
An overview of the press and mass media in Africa today and their contribution to democratization

Democracy, Good Governance and Development in Africa

Democracy, Good Governance and Development in Africa PDF Author: Mawere, Munyaradzi
Publisher: Langaa RPCIG
ISBN: 9956763004
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 422

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Book Description
Questions surrounding democracy, governance, and development especially in the view of Africa have provoked acrimonious debates in the past few years. It remains a perennial question why some decades after political independence in Africa the continent continues experiencing bad governance, lagging behind socioeconomically, and its democracy questionable. We admit that a plethora of theories and reasons, including iniquitous and malicious ones, have been conjured in an attempt to explain and answer the questions as to why Africa seems to be lagging behind other continents in issues pertaining to good governance, democracy and socio-economic development. Yet, none of the theories and reasons proffered so far seems to have provided enduring solutions to Africa’s diverse complex problems and predicaments. This book dissects and critically examines the matrix of Africa’s multifaceted problems on governance, democracy and development in an attempt to proffer enduring solutions to the continent’s long-standing political and socio-economic dilemmas and setbacks.

DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA

DEMOCRACY IN AFRICA PDF Author: JAVIER CLEMENTE ENGONGA AVOMO
Publisher: DelRei
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description
There is no doubt that without democracy modern societies cannot advance. Democracy is not a rigid thing that is used to force people into submission because democracy by etymology and common sense neither subdues nor oppresses, but convinces. Democracy convinces people to give their opinion and to participate in public issues of common interest. Democracy is the only thing that is needed to initiate a social change that separates nations from any system that has tied them down and does not allow them to grow. Many democratic republics of the world are good examples of societies that continue to search incessantly for the road to democracy, through historical phases that will in no way prevent the people from always deciding what is best for them at any given time. The same is true of Africa, the paradise of democratic republics in search of democracy and in the midst of a process of democratic construction. The decision to plunge people into eternal poverty is certainly the biggest problem of many African states, with situations that are created only to harm the population and that always benefit individual and corporate interests, and never patriotic or nationalistic ones. This sad reality is the anti-democracy that is observed in African democracies and that politicians cannot mention because it is precisely their political work. There are always exceptions, it is true, and there are many countries in Africa that are democratic today because yesterday they were created for democracy, but that is not the reality of another long list of countries. That is why for Pan-Africanists, it is better not to be secessionist when analyzing democratic aspirations in Africa in the abstract. Our countries, the richest in the world, are being impoverished by the ambition and greed of a few together with their Western collaborators, and that is an existential problem for intelligent people across the continent and in the diaspora, and for the international community. We all pretend to fight against corruption and for democracy, but just as a racist cannot fight against racism, a corrupt person cannot fight against corruption, or at least, is the least suitable person. But if we take in vain that the wealth and abundance of our countries is being lost in the ambitions and personal whims of a few, then we are collaborating with the political sarcasm and the assault on the public coffers that are preventing Africans from living up to their capacity and talent. Thank you for reading these lines. Javier Clemente Engonga, 09.07.2021

Transitions and Consolidation of Democracy in Africa

Transitions and Consolidation of Democracy in Africa PDF Author: Samuel Ebow Quainoo
Publisher: Global Academic Publishing
ISBN: 9781586840402
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
What conditions motivate a transition to democracy? Can the dynamics of a transition influence its outcome? Under what circumstances has democracy been consolidated in Africa? This trilogy of questions has become necessary in light of the current democratic wave engulfing Africa and the rest of the world. In examining the conditions that initiate democratic transitions, this book investigates the circumstances under which democracy movements have operated between 1980 and 1990. It concludes that, contrary to dominant democratic theory, the transitions to democracy in Africa have occurred under declining levels of development. With regard to transitions, the book recognizes that they have their own dynamics. Two main types of transitions are discerned: top-down and bottom-up. The book argues that in spite of the restrictive nature of top-down transitions, they offer a better opportunity for democratic consolidation because of the consensus between elites of the pro-democracy regime and their counterparts in the authoritarian regime, a condition that is normally absent under bottom-up transitions. Finally, relying on the cases of consolidated democracies, the book derives an African democracy model. The model delineates five main conditions that facilitate democratic consolidation, including good leadership, relevant political institutions, external support, civic space, and a reasonable level of development. It cautions, however, that these are not sufficient conditions, nor are all of them necessary. Since countries have unique historical circumstances, specific countries will have to combine conditions in the model that are relevant to that society to consolidate its democracy. The right combination will depend on the specific needs of the individual country.