Election Observation And Democratization In Africa

Author : NA NA
Publisher : Springer
Page : 334 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2016-04-30
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781349623280

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Election Observation and Democratization in Africa by NA NA Pdf

This book offers an authoritative study of election observation in Africa and its relation with democratization processes. Election observation is a hotly debated issue in contemporary international relations and in political science. It is seen by donor- countries and the international community as a means to enhance democratization, but has been controversial with regard to the `mandates' of the observers, the cases of its misappropriation by authoritarian governments and its masking of other donor-country interests. The book addresses fundamental issues of elections and democrat-ization in Africa, evaluation policies and implementation, as well as the historical backgrounds. A range of case studies leads to new interpretations, which challenge previous empiricist accounts of election observation in Africa. Greater attention to historical and cultural context is required than has been present in previous, somewhat prescriptive accounts. An interdisciplinary approach gives fair coverage of the historical, political and cultural issues involved in elections and election observation in Africa. Key examples of the interface between election observation and democratization processes in various important countries in Africa are presented, linking an analysis of policies and practice. The book contributes to topical debates on the dilemmas and challenges of 'good governance' and on the varieties of democracy as a global phenomenon.

Author : NA NA
Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan
Page : 324 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2014-01-14
Category : Science
ISBN : 134962330X

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Election Observation and Democratization in Africa by NA NA Pdf

This book offers an authoritative study of election observation in Africa and its relation with democratization processes. Election observation is a hotly debated issue in contemporary international relations and in political science. It is seen by donor- countries and the international community as a means to enhance democratization, but has been controversial with regard to the `mandates' of the observers, the cases of its misappropriation by authoritarian governments and its masking of other donor-country interests. The book addresses fundamental issues of elections and democrat-ization in Africa, evaluation policies and implementation, as well as the historical backgrounds. A range of case studies leads to new interpretations, which challenge previous empiricist accounts of election observation in Africa. Greater attention to historical and cultural context is required than has been present in previous, somewhat prescriptive accounts. An interdisciplinary approach gives fair coverage of the historical, political and cultural issues involved in elections and election observation in Africa. Key examples of the interface between election observation and democratization processes in various important countries in Africa are presented, linking an analysis of policies and practice. The book contributes to topical debates on the dilemmas and challenges of 'good governance' and on the varieties of democracy as a global phenomenon.

Author : Gordon Crawford,Gabrielle Lynch
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 376 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2013-09-13
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781135706357

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Democratization in Africa: Challenges and Prospects by Gordon Crawford,Gabrielle Lynch Pdf

It is two decades since the ‘third wave’ of democratization began to roll across sub-Saharan Africa in the early 1990s. This book provides a very timely investigation into the progress and setbacks over that period, the challenges that remain and the prospects for future democratization in Africa. It commences with an overall assessment of the (lack of) progress made from 1990 to 2010, exploring positive developments with reasons for caution. Based on original research, subsequent contributions examine various themes through country case-studies, inclusive of: the routinisation of elections, accompanied by democratic rollback and the rise of hybrid regimes; the tenacity of presidential powers; the dilemmas of power-sharing; ethnic voting and rise of a violent politics of belonging; the role of ‘donors’ and the ambiguities of ‘democracy promotion’. Overall, the book concludes that steps forward remain greater than reversals and that typically, though not universally, sub-Saharan African countries are more democratic today than in the late 1980s. Nonetheless, the book also calls for more meaningful processes of democratization that aim not only at securing civil and political rights, but also socio-economic rights and the physical security of African citizens. This book was originally published as a special issue of Democratization

Author : K. T. Matlosa
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 18 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Political Science
ISBN : STANFORD:36105123512159

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Election Management and Observation in Southern Africa by K. T. Matlosa Pdf

Author : Larry Jay Diamond,Marc F. Plattner
Publisher : JHU Press
Page : 570 pages
File Size : 55,5 Mb
Release : 1999
Category : History
ISBN : 0801862736

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Democratization in Africa by Larry Jay Diamond,Marc F. Plattner Pdf

"The country-specific chapters serve to underline the differences between African democracy and liberal democracy, yet some authors are at pains to emphasize that whatever their limitations, African democracies are an advance over what had gone before." -- African Studies Review

Author : B. Makulilo,Eugene Ntaganda
Publisher : African Books Collective
Page : 314 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2016-02-27
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781928331179

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Election Management Bodies in East Africa by B. Makulilo,Eugene Ntaganda Pdf

The management of elections is increasingly generating impassioned debate in these East African nations Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The bodies that manage and conduct elections are, therefore, coming under intense citizen and stakeholder scrutiny for the manner in which they are composed, how they organise and perform their mandates, and the outcomes they achieve. The effectiveness of electoral management bodies (EMBs) has largely been influenced by the impact of political violence on election management reforms in East Africa. Even in countries where EMBs are the products of reforms initiated in the aftermath of violent disputes over elections, they still face enormous challenges in dealing with electoral disputes and anticipating election-related crises. Although changes to constitutions and the laws in these countries have sought to make EMBs independent and, therefore, more inclined to deliver free, fair and credible elections, there are many issues that determine their impartiality and their ability to allow for the aggregation and free expression of the will of the people. These shortcomings negatively impact on democracy. This volume assembles case studies on the capacity of EMBs in these five East African countries to deliver democratic and transparent elections.

Author : Madior Fall,Mathias Hounkpe
Publisher : African Books Collective
Page : 258 pages
File Size : 45,8 Mb
Release : 2012-09-05
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781920489748

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Election Management Bodies in West Africa by Madior Fall,Mathias Hounkpe Pdf

This report is an in-depth study of electoral commissions in six countries of West Africa Benin, Cape Verde, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone assessing their contribution in strengthening political participation in the region. As institutions that apply the rules governing elections, electoral management bodies (EMBs) have occupied, over the last two decades, the heart of discussion and practice on the critical question of effective citizen participation in the public affairs of their countries. The way in which they are established and the effectiveness of their operations have continued to preoccupy those who advocate for competitive elections, while reforms to the EMBs have taken centre stage in more general political reforms. Election Management Bodies in West Africa thus responds to the evident need for more knowledge about an institution that occupies a more and more important place in the political process in West Africa. Based on documentary research and detailed interviews in each country, the study provides a comparative analysis which highlights the similarities and differences in the structure and operations of each body, and attempts to establish the reasons for their comparative successes and failures.

Author : John Daniel,Roger Southall
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 273 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 2019-07-09
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780429765773

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Voting for Democracy by John Daniel,Roger Southall Pdf

First published in 1999, the essays in this book examine the context and conduct of a series of watershed elections held in Anglophone Africa in the first half of the 1990s. These elections crystallized a wider process of democratization, underway in much of sub-Saharan Africa during the last decade, in which attempts were made to shift from various forms of authoritarian rule (colonial or racial oligarchies, military regimes, one-party states, or presidential rule) to pluralist parliamentary politics. This volume brings together for the first time, studies of these events in countries sharing a comparable legacy of British colonialism, an acquaintance with the Westminster constitutional tradition and related experiences of decolonization and democratic struggle. Written from a variety of perspectives by contributors with first-hand knowledge and long experience of research in Africa, the papers situate each election in its wider political context, examining the political forces at work and the events which gave rise to reform. All indicate that, despite Western pressure for reform and the influence of the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in Eastern Europe, internal African demands for democracy provided the primary driving force for change. Not all the elections fulfilled the hopes invested in them. In Nigeria, they were annulled before all the votes had been counted. In Kenya, the disarray of the opposition ensured the return to power of the old order. Even where they produced a successful regime transition, the democratic credentials of the new governments were sometimes seriously flawed. Yet for all these limitations, these watershed elections signalled important progress for African democracy. They brought a formal end to colonial rule in Namibia and to three centuries of racial discrimination in South Africa. They brought changes of government through the ballot box in Zambia and Malawi, among the first instances in Africa of such change being accomplished without the use of force. Above all, they provided African electorates with an opportunity to pass judgement on long-serving authoritarian regimes – with unequivocal results: in every case, when given the chance to vote, Africans voted for democracy.

Author : Hannah Muzee,Tata Emmanuel Sunjo,Andrew Osehi Enaifoghe
Publisher : Springer Nature
Page : 247 pages
File Size : 46,7 Mb
Release : 2022-10-31
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9783031112485

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Democracy and Africanness by Hannah Muzee,Tata Emmanuel Sunjo,Andrew Osehi Enaifoghe Pdf

This book examines the governance and democratization process in Africa, its history, trends, and prospects. Written by a diverse panel of experts, the book provides an intersectional and interdisciplinary analysis of Africa’s democratic environment. Chapters cover topics such as the evolution of democracy in Africa, electoral politics, gender, activism, human rights, and cultural diversity. Critically assessing the fit of democracy for African countries and offering strategies for the Africanization of democracy, this volume will be important for researchers and students interested in African politics, postcolonial theory, democracy, and governance.

Author : R. Doorenspleet,L. Nijzink
Publisher : Springer
Page : 191 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2014-12-02
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781137011718

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Party Systems and Democracy in Africa by R. Doorenspleet,L. Nijzink Pdf

Do party systems help or hinder democracy in Africa? Drawing lessons from different types of party systems in six African countries, this volume shows that party systems affect democracy in Africa in ways that are unexpectedly different from the relation between party systems and democracy observed elsewhere.

Author : Andrew Reynolds
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 356 pages
File Size : 53,7 Mb
Release : 1999-01-28
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780191522437

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Electoral Systems and Democratization in Southern Africa by Andrew Reynolds Pdf

The design of electoral systems and executive types is increasingly being recognized the key lever of constitutional engineering to be applied in the interests of political accommodation and stability in ethnically divided societies. In this groundbreaking comparative study of democratic design in Southern Africa, Andrew Reynolds finds that the decisions about how to constitute representative parliaments have wide ranging effects on the type of parties and party system that develops, the nature of executive-legislative relations, and the inclusiveness of both majority and minority interests in the process of governance. While electoral system design is the primary focus of the book, the related constitutional issues of whether to choose a presidential or parliamentary system, and whether to entrench consensual, consociational or majoritarian government are also discussed. Analysing the experiences of Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the author presents a host of revealing conclusions that help shed light on the success or failure of democratic design in other fledgling democracies, in both Africa and beyond.

Author : Anonim
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 72 pages
File Size : 54,9 Mb
Release : 1997
Category : Political Science
ISBN : UOM:39015050162901

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Elections by Anonim Pdf

Author : Pippa Norris,Richard W. Frank,Ferran Martínez i Coma
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 321 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2014
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9780199368716

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Advancing Electoral Integrity by Pippa Norris,Richard W. Frank,Ferran Martínez i Coma Pdf

Recent decades have seen growing concern about problems of electoral integrity. The most overt malpractices used by rulers include imprisoning dissidents, harassing adversaries, coercing voters, vote-rigging counts, and even blatant disregard for the popular vote. Serious violations of human rights, undermining electoral credibility, are widely condemned by domestic observers and the international community. Recent protests about integrity have mobilized in countries as diverse as Russia, Mexico, and Egypt. Elsewhere minor irregularities are common, exemplified by inaccurate voter registers, maladministration of polling facilities, lack of security in absentee ballots, pro-government media bias, ballot miscounts, and gerrymandering. Long-standing democracies are far from immune to these ills; past problems include the notorious hanging chads in Florida in 2000 and more recent accusations of voter fraud and voter suppression during the Obama-Romney contest. In response to these developments, there have been growing attempts to analyze flaws in electoral integrity using systematic data from cross-national time-series, forensic analysis, field experiments, case studies, and new instruments monitoring mass and elite perceptions of malpractices. This volume collects essays from international experts who evaluate the robustness, conceptual validity, and reliability of the growing body of evidence. The essays compare alternative approaches and apply these methods to evaluate the quality of elections in several areas, including in the United States, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America.

Author : Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs,Jesper Bjarnesen
Publisher : Zed Books Ltd.
Page : 433 pages
File Size : 51,6 Mb
Release : 2018-04-15
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781786992314

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Violence in African Elections by Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs,Jesper Bjarnesen Pdf

Multiparty elections have become the bellwether by which all democracies are judged, and the spread of these systems across Africa has been widely hailed as a sign of the continent’s progress towards stability and prosperity. But such elections bring their own challenges, particularly the often intense internecine violence following disputed results. While the consequences of such violence can be profound, undermining the legitimacy of the democratic process and in some cases plunging countries into civil war or renewed dictatorship, little is known about the causes. By mapping, analysing and comparing instances of election violence in different localities across Africa – including Kenya, Ivory Coast and Uganda – this collection of detailed case studies sheds light on the underlying dynamics and sub-national causes behind electoral conflicts, revealing them to be the result of a complex interplay between democratisation and the older, patronage-based system of ‘Big Man’ politics. Essential for scholars and policymakers across the social sciences and humanities interested in democratization, peace-keeping and peace studies, Violence in African Elections provides important insights into why some communities prove more prone to electoral violence than others, offering practical suggestions for preventing violence through improved electoral monitoring, voter education, and international assistance.

Author : Professor of Political Science Dieter Nohlen,Dieter Nohlen,Michael Krennerich,Research Associate Institute for Political Science Michael Krennerich,Bernard Thibaut,Research Associate Institute for Political Science Berhard Thibaut
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 1001 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 1999-07-22
Category : History
ISBN : 9780198296454

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Elections in Africa by Professor of Political Science Dieter Nohlen,Dieter Nohlen,Michael Krennerich,Research Associate Institute for Political Science Michael Krennerich,Bernard Thibaut,Research Associate Institute for Political Science Berhard Thibaut Pdf

Elections have always been an integral part of post-independence African politics and have assumed utmost importance in the course of recent democratisation processes. However, comparative research on the political development in Africa lacks reliable electoral data. Elections in Africa fills this cap. The handbook is the only reliable source for African elections from independence to present.In the first volume of this series, Elections in Africa presents a country-by-country study of African nations that provides a comparative introduction on elections and electoral systems. Each country chapter examines the history of the institutional and electoral arrangements, the evolution of suffrage and current electoral provisions. Precise and exhaustive data on national elections and referendums are presented comparatively. The book provides a definitive and comprehensive set ofdata on elections and electoral systems in order to facilitate comparative research. Data is presented in a systematic manner allowing for both historical and cross-national comparisons.