Accountability Politics and Development in Colonial and Post-colonial Africa PDF Download

Author: Gabriel Oyaletor Ijewere
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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Author: Terhemba Wuam
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Africa
Languages : en
Pages : 616

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Author: Arame Tall
Publisher: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing
ISBN: 9783846539804
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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This book depicts the state of Africa's political institutions at the dawn of the 21st century, which float lifelessly atop local realities, and urgent development needs. The author describes that these institutions are not accountable to local ordinary Africans, mostly relegated to the ranks of second-class citizens in Africa's countryside. She contends that in Africa's recent past, endogenously grown institutions had sophisticated systems to ensure accountability of supreme leaders, who had to cater to the concerns of their nation. This book offers a major contribution to our understanding of political institutions and relationships between governors and those governed that existed before the colonial interlude in Africa's history. Could lessons be learnt from pre-colonial institutional arrangements, in defining the institutions of the new Africa that will take the continent to a more promising future? Through the practical case of the Lebu Republic, oligarchic pre-colonial nation in Senegal, the author offers a blueprint for re-designing local political institutions in a way that is more culturally compatible with the values, and needs, of local citizens across Africa.

Author: Darin Christensen
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300244940
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Authors Christensen and Laitin argue that an interplay of geographic, historical, and demographic factors undergird sub-Saharan states’ post-independence struggles to eradicate poverty, establish democratic accountability, and quell civil unrest. They set out the founding fathers’ challenges in transforming their postcolonial states, many of which are ethnically diverse, geographically diffuse, sparsely populated, and lacking in administrative capacity. With the legacies of the slave trade, partition, Christian missionaries, and extractive colonial institutions complicating their efforts, many African states faced stagnation, authoritarianism, and civil strife. Recent years have seen promising attempts to restore democracy to states under authoritarian rule and to liberalize their economies, suggesting that the region is moving toward a new era. Relying on the best statistical data and richly illustrated with case material, this book is an indispensable source for scholars and policy analysts seeking to understand Africa’s post-independence political trajectories.

Author: Wale Adebanwi
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
ISBN: 0472054813
Category : HISTORY
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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Studying elites through the framework of accountability

Author: Ken Ochieng' Opalo
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110849210X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 295

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Examined the development of legislatures under colonial rule, post-colonial autocratic single party rule, and multi-party politics in Africa.

Author: Mamoudou Gazibo
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
ISBN: 1443888443
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 375

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Book Description
What is the state of governance in sub-Saharan Africa? Is it possible to identify the best practices and approaches to establishing political systems that promote accountability, transparency, peace, and civic space for all? These are the questions addressed in this book. While the concept of governance is considered to be central to political science, our understanding of it is still imprecise, with extant studies focused primarily either on think-tank indicators, economic management, or political studies of democratization. This book critically examines the record on democratization in Africa thus far, and seeks a new, integrated, focused approach to the study of governance. Such an approach requires revisiting the concept of governance itself, with emphasis on certain decisive components and critical issues. Considered in a democratic framework, the concept of governance can be employed to cast light on accountability issues in several arenas, four of which are considered in detail in this volume: institutions and the rule of law; constitution-making, elections, and political conflict settlement; distribution of power and citizenship; and political economy and corruption. Each contribution offers particular insights in one of these arenas. With a huge and varied continent in rapid flux to study, the sheer amount and variety of interesting new research is enormous. It is expected that the discussions contained herein and the various challenges, achievements, and lessons outlined will contribute to research, inform teaching, and lead to a greater understanding of the issues of democratic consolidation and economic development in Africa.

Author: Said Adejumobi
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131718405X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 248

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Africa has made notable progress in its nascent democracy but with uneven performance across countries. However, across the board, challenges abound. Central to Africa’s checkered democratic narrative is the weakness of its democratic institutions, participatory mechanisms and accountability platforms. This book interrogates these elements with the role and capacity of the parliament, political parties, media, freedom of information law, trade union movements, gender empowerment mechanisms and accountability methods and processes all under examination. The weakness of democratic institutions has had a corrosive effect on political accountability and limits the scope for popular participation in governance. In many countries, innovative practices, and new social and political encounters are emerging that challenge old institutional cultures, promote reforms and demand accountability from the governing elite. The book captures these varied, innovative patterns of democratic change. With first hand knowledge and expertise of the continent, the contributors analyze the issues, trends, problems and challenges in these critical areas of Africa’s democratic growth. The conclusion is that strengthening democratic institutions, opening up the political space for enhanced political participation and ensuring political accountability will determine the course, prospects and quality of Africa’s budding democracy.

Author: Adebayo O. Olukoshi
Publisher: Nordic Africa Institute
ISBN: 9789171067012
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 25

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This Discussion Paper provides a thought-provoking and radical intervention into the ongoing debates on democratic governance and accountability in Africa. The author undertakes a critical overview of the discourse on democratisation in Africa and notes that democracy on the continent cannot be fully understood on the basis of the ways in which electoral pluralism has played out in the last 20 years. The paper critiques mainstream explanations and points out their shortcomings. It goes on to make a compelling case for an alternative framework based on historically informed dialectical analysis of everyday democracy and struggles for democracy in Africa. Noting that no two democracies are exactly the same, the paper advocates the need for democracy in Africa to be studied on its own terms, and in a way that facilitates taking the African experience into the global arena to produce a truly comparative theory of democratisation on a world scale. The paper is essential reading for all those interested in the history, present and future of democracy in Africa.

Author: Patrick Chabal
Publisher: CUP Archive
ISBN: 9780521311489
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 228

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Book Description
This collection of essays brings together historians and political scientists from Britain, France and the United States, who, from widely differing perspectives and traditions, have been involved in the process of rethinking African politics. They present here the outline of a new approach, grounded in universal political theory rather than on theories of Third World political development. This seeks to integrate the history of Africa (from pre- to post-colonial) with concepts of political theory as they have been applied historically to the analysis of Europe and America. The book addresses a wide audience: students of African history and politics, of Third World development and of political theory.