Militocracy vs. Democracy in West Africa 1960s – 1990s

Militocracy vs. Democracy in West Africa 1960s – 1990s PDF Author: Godfrey Mwakikagile
Publisher: New Africa Press
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 410

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Book Description
This is a historical narrative and analysis of the unconstitutional changes of government in most West African countries where military rule became institutionalised more than in any other part of the continent from the sixties to the nineties. There is no specific reason why the region has suffered from usurpation of power by soldiers more than any other part of the continent, besides the desire by soldiers to rule, recently demonstrated by coups in Mali in 2020 and 2021, Guinea in 2021, and Burkina Faso in 2022. Governments in West Africa are no more unstable or weaker than their counterparts in other parts of the continent. Overthrowing governments became a continental phenomenon when military rulers went on to legitimise their their seizure of power through rigged elections by turning themselves into civilian rulers. They “civilianised” themselves, not only to claim that they were no longer military rulers but were democratically elected leaders; a manipulation of power that triggered counter-coups by their opponents to end their rule, resulting in many deaths in many countries where this violent change took place. Military rule in Africa started soon after independence in the sixties. The most ambitious goals in the postcolonial era were consolidation of the state and nation building with varying degrees of success in different parts of the continent. Military rulers proved to be no better than their civilian counterparts they had replaced. In most cases, they were even worse and used coercive power of the state to perpetuate themselves in office just as their civilian counterparts did. The result was consolidation of the state as an instrument of oppression, the most oppressive apparatus being the executive branch itself, invested with all the powers, which evolved into the imperial presidency, a phenomenon that persists in some African countries legitimised through rigged elections enabling leaders to remain in office under the guise of democracy “in the name of the people.”

Militocracy vs. Democracy in West Africa 1960s – 1990s

Militocracy vs. Democracy in West Africa 1960s – 1990s PDF Author: Godfrey Mwakikagile
Publisher: New Africa Press
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 410

Get Book Here

Book Description
This is a historical narrative and analysis of the unconstitutional changes of government in most West African countries where military rule became institutionalised more than in any other part of the continent from the sixties to the nineties. There is no specific reason why the region has suffered from usurpation of power by soldiers more than any other part of the continent, besides the desire by soldiers to rule, recently demonstrated by coups in Mali in 2020 and 2021, Guinea in 2021, and Burkina Faso in 2022. Governments in West Africa are no more unstable or weaker than their counterparts in other parts of the continent. Overthrowing governments became a continental phenomenon when military rulers went on to legitimise their their seizure of power through rigged elections by turning themselves into civilian rulers. They “civilianised” themselves, not only to claim that they were no longer military rulers but were democratically elected leaders; a manipulation of power that triggered counter-coups by their opponents to end their rule, resulting in many deaths in many countries where this violent change took place. Military rule in Africa started soon after independence in the sixties. The most ambitious goals in the postcolonial era were consolidation of the state and nation building with varying degrees of success in different parts of the continent. Military rulers proved to be no better than their civilian counterparts they had replaced. In most cases, they were even worse and used coercive power of the state to perpetuate themselves in office just as their civilian counterparts did. The result was consolidation of the state as an instrument of oppression, the most oppressive apparatus being the executive branch itself, invested with all the powers, which evolved into the imperial presidency, a phenomenon that persists in some African countries legitimised through rigged elections enabling leaders to remain in office under the guise of democracy “in the name of the people.”

Sierra Leone and its Identity Salone

Sierra Leone and its Identity Salone PDF Author: Bankole Kamara Taylor
Publisher: New Africa Press
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 406

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Book Description
This book is about the country and the people of Sierra Leone. It is also about the history of the country and the different ethnic groups which constitute the population and how they live. It is also about the geography and climate of the country, its towns and cities. It is a general introduction to Sierra Leone and includes coverage of some of the most tragic events in the history of the country and its collapse when it was plunged into a civil war, one of the most brutal conflicts in the history of post-colonial Africa. Included in the book are interviews with some American ambassadors to Sierra Leone which shed more light on the country, providing a more comprehensive picture of one of the most fascinating countries on the African continent; also one of the most traumatized because of the horrendous tragedy it went through during the civil war which lasted for more than ten years and spilled across borders especially in terms of human suffering, with waves of refugees seeking shelter in neighbouring countries. It is also a country that almost never became one had the indigenous people won wars against the settlers from Britain and North America as well as the Caribbean who first settled in what came to be known as Freetown, later and still the capital of the country, which formed the nucleus of what came to be known as the British colony and protectorate of Sierra Leone. But that is a story for another book.

International Aid and Democracy Promotion

International Aid and Democracy Promotion PDF Author: Bann Seng Tan
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 9780367505868
Category : Conditionality (International relations)
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
International Aid and Democracy Promotion investigates the link between foreign aid and the promotion of democracy, using theory, statistical tests, and illustrative case studies. This book challenges the field of development to recognize that democracy promotion is unlike other development goals. With a goal like economic development, the interests of the recipient and the donor coincide; whereas, with democratization, authoritarian recipients have strong reasons to oppose what donors seek. The different motivations of donors and recipients must be considered if democracy aid is to be effective. The author examines how donors exercise their leverage over aid recipients, and, more importantly, why, using selectorate theory to understand the incentives of both aid donors and recipients. International Aid and Democracy Promotion will be of great interest to academics and students of development and democratization, as well as policy makers with authority over foreign aid allocation. "The Open Access version of this book, available at http: //www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781003050438, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Open Access for this book is generously supported by the Ashoka University.

Petrostate

Petrostate PDF Author: Marshall I. Goldman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199758549
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 266

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Book Description
In the aftermath of the financial collapse of August 1998, it looked as if Russia's day as a superpower had come and gone. That it should recover and reassert itself after less than a decade is nothing short of an economic and political miracle. Based on extensive research, including several interviews with Vladimir Putin, this revealing book chronicles Russia's dramatic reemergence on the world stage, illuminating the key reason for its rebirth: the use of its ever-expanding energy wealth to reassert its traditional great power ambitions. In his deft, informative narrative, Marshall Goldman traces how this has come to be, and how Russia is using its oil-based power as a lever in world politics. The book provides an informative overview of oil in Russia, traces Vladimir Putin's determined effort to reign in the upstart oil oligarchs who had risen to power in the post-Soviet era, and describes Putin's efforts to renationalize and refashion Russia's industries into state companies and his vaunted "national champions" corporations like Gazprom, largely owned by the state, who do the bidding of the state. Goldman shows how Russia paid off its international debt and has gone on to accumulate the world's third largest holdings of foreign currency reserves--all by becoming the world's largest producer of petroleum and the world's second largest exporter. Today, Vladimir Putin and his cohort have stabilized the Russian economy and recentralized power in Moscow, and fossil fuels (oil and natural gas) have made it all possible. The story of oil and gas in Russia is a tale of discovery, intrigue, corruption, wealth, misguidance, greed, patronage, nepotism, and power. Marshall Goldman tells this story with panache, as only one of the world's leading authorities on Russia could.

The Military and Democracy in Asia and the Pacific

The Military and Democracy in Asia and the Pacific PDF Author: Ronald James May
Publisher: ANU E Press
ISBN: 1920942009
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
In The Military and Democracy in Asia and the Pacific, a number of prominent regional specialists take a fresh look at the military's changing role in selected countries of Asia and the Pacific, particularly with regard to the countries' performance against criteria of democratic government. Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Burma, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Korea, Fiji and Papua New Guinea all fall under the spotlight as the authors examine the role which the military has played in bringing about changes of political regime, and in resisting pressures for change.

The Putin Paradox

The Putin Paradox PDF Author: Richard Sakwa
Publisher: I.B. Tauris
ISBN: 1838601279
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
Vladimir Putin has emerged as one of the key leaders of the twenty-first century. However, he is also recognized as one of the most divisive. Abroad, his assertion of Russia's interests and critique of the western-dominated international system has brought him into conflict with Atlantic powers. Within Russia, he has balanced various factions within the elite intelligentsia alongside the wider support of Russian society. So what is the 'Putin paradox?' Richard Sakwa grapples with Putin's personal and political development on both the international political scene and within the domestic political landscape of Russia. This study historicizes the Putin paradox, through theoretical, historical and political analysis and in light of wider developments in Russian society. Richard Sakwa presents the Putin paradox as a unique regime type - balancing numerous contradictions - in order to adapt to its material environment while maintaining sufficient authority with which to shape it.

The Power of the Gun

The Power of the Gun PDF Author: Edward Allen McCord
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780520081284
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 436

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Book Description
This detailed study offers a new interpretation of the emergence of warlordism in early twentieth-century China. Focusing on the provinces of Hunan and Hubei, Edward McCord shows how the repeated use of the military to settle disputes over the structure and allocation of political power in the early Republic ultimately thwarted the consolidation of civil authority. Warlordism flourished as military commanders took advantage of the growing militarization of politics to establish their dominance over early Republican government. McCord's study brings into sharp focus the social and political context of warlordism and is an essential bridge completing the narrative of events between two revolutionary eras. With the role of the military in modern Chinese politics receiving renewed attention today, this work is especially timely. This detailed study offers a new interpretation of the emergence of warlordism in early twentieth-century China. Focusing on the provinces of Hunan and Hubei, Edward McCord shows how the repeated use of the military to settle disputes over the structure and allocation of political power in the early Republic ultimately thwarted the consolidation of civil authority. Warlordism flourished as military commanders took advantage of the growing militarization of politics to establish their dominance over early Republican government. McCord's study brings into sharp focus the social and political context of warlordism and is an essential bridge completing the narrative of events between two revolutionary eras. With the role of the military in modern Chinese politics receiving renewed attention today, this work is especially timely.

The Military in African Politics

The Military in African Politics PDF Author: Johns Hopkins University. School of Advanced International Studies
Publisher: Praeger
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 216

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Book Description
The concern of this book is with military rulers as political actors in contemporary Africa. Much of Africa has been under military rule during the quarter century since a majority of the countries attained their political independence. Yet studies of military rule have focused on when and how to predict the occurrence of military rule and on distinguishing between military and civilian rule. The concern of the contributors to this volume, by contrast, is the political behavior of officers once in power: how they have ruled; what has been the significance of military rule on the character of political systems in the affected countries; and how problems of regime succession have been addressed by military rulers.--Preface.

Globalization, Growth, and Poverty

Globalization, Growth, and Poverty PDF Author: Paul Collier
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 9780821350485
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
Globalization - the growing integration of economies and societies around the world, is a complex process. The focus of this research is the impact of economic integration on developing countries and especially the poor people living in these countries. Whether economic integration supports poverty reduction and how it can do so more effectively are key questions asked. The research yields 3 main findings with bearings on current policy debates about globalization. Firstly, poor countries with some 3 billion people have broken into the global market for manufactures and services, and this successful integration has generally supported poverty reduction. Secondly, inclusion both across countries and within them is important as a number of countries (pop. 2 billion) are failing as states, trading less and less, and becoming marginal to the world economy. Thirdly, standardization or homogenization is a concern - will economic integration lead to cultural or institutional homogenization?

The Misrepresentation of Nigeria

The Misrepresentation of Nigeria PDF Author: Yusufu Bala Usman
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Elections
Languages : en
Pages : 120

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Book Description