MACMILLAN The Quality of Democracy in Africa: Opposition Competitiveness Rooted in Legacies of Cleavages (Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century)

This book shows that democratization in sub-Saharan Africa can be successful, even if the government remains dominated by one major political party. If an institutionalized and strong opposition party – even when too weak to take power – challenges the dominant government party, the quality of democracy improves substantially. The comparative study demonstrates that competitive opposition parties in dominant party systems are rooted in the historical legacy of political cleavages related to de-colonization that precede the third wave of democratization of the 1990s and have survived the instability of post-independence political developments to the present day. The study covers 19 African countries and 55 elections overall, including four in-depth case studies of Botswana, Lesotho, Ghana and Mali. It offers scholars and practitioners of electoral democracies and competitive authoritarian regimes a novel view on the role of party systems in processes of democratization. It makes an important contribution to the general literature on state building intertwined with democratization and representation in old and new democracies. Review “In recent years, the functioning of political parties and party systems in Africa has received increasing research attention. The Quality of Democracy in Africa: Opposition Competitiveness Rooted in Legacies of Cleavages forms one of the latest contributions to this important research area. … For specialized scholars, the work provides interesting insights and sets the path for new avenues of research.” (Leila Demarest, Democratization, Vol. 25 (5), August, 2017) Review “This important work demonstrates the role played by political opposition parties in increasing competitiveness within dominant party systems. Although focussed upon African political systems, it offers a rigorous analysis of what makes for a better quality of democracy which will resonate amongst all scholars of democratisation across the globe.” (Emeritus Professor Roger Southall, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa) “Jonathan van Eerd has written a keenly informed and provocative analysis of the role that historically constructed party systems play in determining the prospects for democratic consolidation in Africa. His book will influence future debates on the topic.” (Professor Nicolas van de Walle, Cornell University, USA) “This research shows that the democratizing power of elections in Africa to a large extent depends on the strength of the opposition. The novel argument helps explain why some dominant party systems in Africa are more democratic than others. A must-read for anyone interested in the factors that make democracy succeed in Africa and beyond.” (Professor Matthijs Bogaards, Central European University, Hungary) “This book shows that democratization in sub-Saharan Africa can be successful, even if the government remains dominated by one major political party: If an institutionalized and strong opposition party – even when too weak to take power – challenges the dominant government party, the quality of democracy improves substantially. The comparative study demonstrates that competitive opposition parties in dominant party systems are rooted in the historical legacy of political cleavages related to de-colonization that precede the third wave of democratization of the 1990s and have survived the instability of post-independence political developments to the present day. The study covers 19 African countries and 55 elections overall, including four in-depth case studies of Botswana, Lesotho, Ghana and Mali. It offers scholars and practitioners of electoral democracies and competitive authoritarian regimes a novel view on the role of party systems in processes of democratization. It makes an important contribution to the general literature on state building intertwined with democratization and representation in old and new democracies.” (Jonathan van Eerd i