Edward R. McMahon
Director, Center on Democratic Performance
Department of Political Science, Binghamton University
A discussion paper prepared for the Department of State/NIC Conference,
"Africa: What Is To Be Done", December 11, 2000, Washington, DC.
Abstract
The challenge of developing lasting and representative political institutions based on the will of the people has been clearly been demonstrated in Africa over the past decade. Depending on one's perspective, recent years have shown either the promise of a transition from autocracy to democracy in Africa, the continent's inability to do so, or some intermediate and inconclusive result. A substantial number of countries including such regional powers as South Africa and Nigeria have succeeded in holding legitimate elections and in moving ahead to address questions of democratic consolidation, albeit at an early stage. Anyone suggesting in the late 1980s that this would be the case by 2000 would have probably been roundly dismissed. On the other hand, however, the past decade has seen the tragedies of state failure in countries such as Rwanda, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. So Africa defies simplistic generalizations. The reality is much more complex and varied.
The paper briefly categorizes countries in 3 types: those undergoing meaningful change, those adopting the form but not the substance of democratic functioning, and those that have not undergone any significant democratization process. It then provides some considerations for future institutional development. It also highlights implications for the future, and provides several policy-oriented recommendations.
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