The Paradox of Traditional Chiefs in Democratic Africa

The Paradox of Traditional Chiefs in Democratic Africa PDF Author: Kate Baldwin
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107127335
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 261

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book shows that powerful hereditary chiefs do not undermine democracy in Africa but, on some level, facilitate it.

The Paradox of Traditional Chiefs in Democratic Africa

The Paradox of Traditional Chiefs in Democratic Africa PDF Author: Kate Baldwin
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107127335
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 261

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book shows that powerful hereditary chiefs do not undermine democracy in Africa but, on some level, facilitate it.

Traditional Leaders in a Democracy

Traditional Leaders in a Democracy PDF Author: Skosana, Dineo
Publisher: The Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA)
ISBN: 0639923836
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 402

Get Book Here

Book Description
Post-1994, South Africa's traditional leaders have fought for recognition, and positioned themselves as major players in the South African political landscape. Yet their role in a democracy is contested, with leaders often accused of abusing power, disregarding human rights, expropriating resources and promoting tribalism. Some argue that democracy and traditional leadership are irredeemably opposed and cannot co-exist. Meanwhile, shifts in the political economy of the former bantustans − the introduction of platinum mining in particular − have attracted new interests and conflicts to these areas, with chiefs often designated as custodians of community interests. This edited volume explores how chieftancy is practised, experienced and contested in contemporary South Africa. It includes case studies of how those living under the authority of chiefs, in a modern democracy, negotiate or resist this authority in their respective areas. Chapters in this book are organised around three major sites of contest: leadership, land and law.

Decentralized Governance and Accountability

Decentralized Governance and Accountability PDF Author: Jonathan A. Rodden
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110849790X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 313

Get Book Here

Book Description
Reviews recent lessons about decentralized governance and implications for future development programs and policies.

Information, Accountability, and Cumulative Learning

Information, Accountability, and Cumulative Learning PDF Author: Thad Dunning
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108395074
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 505

Get Book Here

Book Description
Throughout the world, voters lack access to information about politicians, government performance, and public services. Efforts to remedy these informational deficits are numerous. Yet do informational campaigns influence voter behavior and increase democratic accountability? Through the first project of the Metaketa Initiative, sponsored by the Evidence in Governance and Politics (EGAP) research network, this book aims to address this substantive question and at the same time introduce a new model for cumulative learning that increases coordination among otherwise independent researcher teams. It presents the overall results (using meta-analysis) from six independently conducted but coordinated field experimental studies, the results from each individual study, and the findings from a related evaluation of whether practitioners utilize this information as expected. It also discusses lessons learned from EGAP's efforts to coordinate field experiments, increase replication of theoretically important studies across contexts, and increase the external validity of field experimental research.

Imperial Rule and the Politics of Nationalism

Imperial Rule and the Politics of Nationalism PDF Author: Adria Lawrence
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107037093
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 297

Get Book Here

Book Description
During the first half of the twentieth century, movements seeking political equality emerged in France's overseas territories. Within twenty years, they were replaced by movements for national independence in the majority of French colonies, protectorates, and mandates. In this pathbreaking study of the decolonization era, Adria Lawrence asks why elites in French colonies shifted from demands for egalitarian and democratic reforms to calls for independent statehood, and why mass mobilization for independence emerged where and when it did. Lawrence shows that nationalist discourses became dominant as a consequence of the failure of the reform agenda. Where political rights were granted, colonial subjects opted for further integration and reform. Contrary to conventional accounts, nationalism was not the only or even the primary form of anti-colonialism. Lawrence shows further that mass nationalist protest occurred only when and where French authority was disrupted. Imperial crises were the cause, not the result, of mass protest.

Women, Work, and Politics

Women, Work, and Politics PDF Author: Torben Iversen
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300153104
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 221

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book presents an original and groundbreaking approach to gender inequality. Looking at women's power in the home, in the workplace, and in politics from a political economy perspective, the authors demonstrate that equality is tied to demand for women's labor outside the home, which is a function of structural, political, and institutional conditions.--[book jacket].

The Decline and Rise of Democracy

The Decline and Rise of Democracy PDF Author: David Stasavage
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691201951
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 424

Get Book Here

Book Description
"One of the most important books on political regimes written in a generation."—Steven Levitsky, New York Times–bestselling author of How Democracies Die A new understanding of how and why early democracy took hold, how modern democracy evolved, and what this history teaches us about the future Historical accounts of democracy’s rise tend to focus on ancient Greece and pre-Renaissance Europe. The Decline and Rise of Democracy draws from global evidence to show that the story is much richer—democratic practices were present in many places, at many other times, from the Americas before European conquest, to ancient Mesopotamia, to precolonial Africa. Delving into the prevalence of early democracy throughout the world, David Stasavage makes the case that understanding how and where these democracies flourished—and when and why they declined—can provide crucial information not just about the history of governance, but also about the ways modern democracies work and where they could manifest in the future. Drawing from examples spanning several millennia, Stasavage first considers why states developed either democratic or autocratic styles of governance and argues that early democracy tended to develop in small places with a weak state and, counterintuitively, simple technologies. When central state institutions (such as a tax bureaucracy) were absent—as in medieval Europe—rulers needed consent from their populace to govern. When central institutions were strong—as in China or the Middle East—consent was less necessary and autocracy more likely. He then explores the transition from early to modern democracy, which first took shape in England and then the United States, illustrating that modern democracy arose as an effort to combine popular control with a strong state over a large territory. Democracy has been an experiment that has unfolded over time and across the world—and its transformation is ongoing. Amidst rising democratic anxieties, The Decline and Rise of Democracy widens the historical lens on the growth of political institutions and offers surprising lessons for all who care about governance.

Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Future of Africa and Policy Development

Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Future of Africa and Policy Development PDF Author: Tshabangu, Icarbord
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 1799887731
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 375

Get Book Here

Book Description
Despite several idealistic efforts towards a united Africa, the term remains a hypothetical concept symbolizing a desired federal state on the continent. While globalization and interconnectedness have brought prosperity in some parts of the world, Africa has not generally benefited from global decisions. These decisions, policies, and practices have tended to be wholly influenced by the rich and powerful countries and their transnational agencies and corporations in pursuit of their national interests. Faced with such enormous external economic and political forces, the divided and powerless African states have been unable to bargain for lucrative economic deals or pursue national interests for the benefit of their people, hence the need to examine what exists in varied fields and the emerging trends for the future. Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Future of Africa and Policy Development addresses critical issues and challenges in Africa and seeks to examine and understand the future trends in Africa through a deconstructive interrogation of present trends. Covering a wide range of topics such as sustainability, equality, and democracy, it is ideal for researchers, academicians, students, economists, policymakers, political parties, trade unions, and NGOs.

Indigenous People - Traditional Practices and Modern Development

Indigenous People - Traditional Practices and Modern Development PDF Author: Sanjeet Kumar
Publisher: BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN: 0854661700
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 144

Get Book Here

Book Description
Indigenous People - Traditional Practices and Modern Development provides a comprehensive overview of indigenous people, their traditional knowledge, and contemporary advancement in a variety of areas. It also discusses the need to preserve indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge in the present context and how to document and restore it. Additionally, it offers baseline data for developing plans for sustainable development and good governance. This book is a useful resource for academics, researchers, students, government agencies, non-governmental groups, and policymakers.components of the Earth. Only indigenous and native pillars can save us globally. Therefore, at any cost, the world must start a new era with indigenous people and their traditional knowledge. This book is a microscopic aspect of an anthropological study of the evolution, culture, rituals, traditional practices, and modern development of indigenous populations, globally speaking. It also enlightens the readers about the varied means of their livelihood and their social organization, religion, art, and music through three broad sections. The book will be quite useful for students, researchers, intellectuals, and general readers throughout the world. I wish for a grand success that will be a source of inspiration in many ways and a life-changing fount in the contemporary world.

The Governance Cycle in Parliamentary Democracies

The Governance Cycle in Parliamentary Democracies PDF Author: Scott de Marchi
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1009315463
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 229

Get Book Here

Book Description
Parliamentary democracy involves a never-ending cycle of elections, government formations, and the need for governments to survive in potentially hostile environments. These conditions require members of any government to make decisions on a large number of issues, some of which sharply divide them. Officials resolve these divisions by 'logrolling'– conceding on issues they care less about, in exchange for reciprocal concessions on issues to which they attach more importance. Though realistically modeling this 'governance cycle' is beyond the scope of traditional formal analysis, this book attacks the problem computationally in two ways. Firstly, it models the behavior of “functionally rational” senior politicians who use informal decision heuristics to navigate their complex high stakes setting. Secondly, by applying computational methods to traditional game theory, it uses artificial intelligence to model how hyper-rational politicians might find strategies that are close to optimal.