Abstract
The majority of states in sub-Saharan Africa are currently characterised by procedural progress such as regular elections, parliaments, government departments and division of powers. These are all elements needed for establishing effective democratic governance structures. Despite this progress, these states are, however, also characterised by substantive failures in terms of actual service delivery to, and need satisfaction of their populations. In concrete terms, they fail to fully consolidate their democracies and are unable to create effective, peaceful and prosperous societies comparable to the developed states of the West. There are some exceptions, but underdevelopment, instability and poverty remain rampant and many of these states are currently classified by developmental organisations such as the United Nations (UN), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Freedom House Index, as unstable, uncertain, imploding or even failed. This study aims to add to existing knowledge relating to theoretical frameworks that explain the absence of democratic consolidation and continued instability in sub-Saharan Africa.
Presenters
Herman Van der ElstAssociate Professor, Politics and International Relations, North-West University, Gauteng, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Transformative societies, Uncertain democracies, Consolidation, Procedural progress, Substantive failures
