Democratic Backsliding in Africa?

Why have most African countries not achieved greater political liberalization? What explains the lack of progress toward the ideals of liberal democracy across the region? This book advances ongoing debates on democratic backsliding with specific reference to Africa. In examining how incumbent leade...

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Format: Online
Langue:anglais
Publié: Oxford University Press 2023
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Accès en ligne:OCN: 1355037788
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collection Directory of Open Access Books
description Why have most African countries not achieved greater political liberalization? What explains the lack of progress toward the ideals of liberal democracy across the region? This book advances ongoing debates on democratic backsliding with specific reference to Africa. In examining how incumbent leaders in African countries attempt to contain societal pressures for greater democracy, the chapters explain how governments go beyond the standard tools of manipulation, such as electoral fraud and political violence, to keep democracy from unfolding in their countries. The book emphasizes two distinct strategies that governments frequently use to reinforce their hold on power, but which remain overlooked in conventional analyses; —the legal system and the international system. It—documents how governments employ the law to limit the scope of action among citizens and civil society activists struggling to expand democratic liberties, including the use of constitutional provisions and the courts. The work further demonstrates how governments use their role in international relations to neutralize pressure from external actors, including sovereigntist claims against foreign intervention and selective implementation of donor-promoted policies. While pro-democracy actors can also employ these legal and international strategies to challenge incumbents, in some cases to prevent democratic backsliding, the book shows why and how incumbents have enjoyed institutional advantages when implementing these strategies through the six country case studies of Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-965012025-07-17T12:15:48Z Democratic Backsliding in Africa? Arriola, Leonardo R. Rakner, Lise van de walle, Nicolas democratic backsliding, democracy, Africa, political liberalization, government, strategies, legal system, international system, international relations, African politics thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPS International relations thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPS International relations thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa Why have most African countries not achieved greater political liberalization? What explains the lack of progress toward the ideals of liberal democracy across the region? This book advances ongoing debates on democratic backsliding with specific reference to Africa. In examining how incumbent leaders in African countries attempt to contain societal pressures for greater democracy, the chapters explain how governments go beyond the standard tools of manipulation, such as electoral fraud and political violence, to keep democracy from unfolding in their countries. The book emphasizes two distinct strategies that governments frequently use to reinforce their hold on power, but which remain overlooked in conventional analyses; —the legal system and the international system. It—documents how governments employ the law to limit the scope of action among citizens and civil society activists struggling to expand democratic liberties, including the use of constitutional provisions and the courts. The work further demonstrates how governments use their role in international relations to neutralize pressure from external actors, including sovereigntist claims against foreign intervention and selective implementation of donor-promoted policies. While pro-democracy actors can also employ these legal and international strategies to challenge incumbents, in some cases to prevent democratic backsliding, the book shows why and how incumbents have enjoyed institutional advantages when implementing these strategies through the six country case studies of Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. 2023-01-31T04:03:49Z 2023-01-31T04:03:49Z 2023-01-30T10:05:02Z 2023 book OCN: 1355037788 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/60999 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/96501 eng open access image/jpeg image/jpeg image/jpeg Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/60999/1/9780192867322.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/60999/1/9780192867322.pdf https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/60999/1/9780192867322.pdf Oxford University Press 10.1093/oso/9780192867322.001.0001 10.1093/oso/9780192867322.001.0001 db4e319f-ca9f-449a-bcf2-37d7c6f885b1 Universitetet i Bergen 39729116-4b2f-4b53-936b-3f05ae46f005 320 Oxford open access
spellingShingle democratic backsliding, democracy, Africa, political liberalization, government, strategies, legal system, international system, international relations, African politics
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPS International relations
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPS International relations
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa
Democratic Backsliding in Africa?
title Democratic Backsliding in Africa?
title_full Democratic Backsliding in Africa?
title_fullStr Democratic Backsliding in Africa?
title_full_unstemmed Democratic Backsliding in Africa?
title_short Democratic Backsliding in Africa?
title_sort democratic backsliding in africa
topic democratic backsliding, democracy, Africa, political liberalization, government, strategies, legal system, international system, international relations, African politics
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPS International relations
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPS International relations
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa
topic_facet democratic backsliding, democracy, Africa, political liberalization, government, strategies, legal system, international system, international relations, African politics
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPS International relations
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPS International relations
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPA Political science and theory
thema EDItEUR::J Society and Social Sciences::JP Politics and government::JPH Political structure and processes
thema EDItEUR::1 Place qualifiers::1H Africa
url OCN: 1355037788