| Description |
1 online resource (xvii, 261 pages) : illustrations (black and white) |
| Series |
Eastern Africa series |
|
Eastern African studies (London, England)
|
| Contents |
Introduction: structural and institutional factors in the crisis of democratization in the Greater Horn of Africa -- Problematizing 'liberation' and democratization in post-independence Eritrea -- Prospects for democracy in Africa's newest country, South Sudan -- The quest for alternatives in overcoming the democratization deficit in Ethiopia -- Parliament-public engagement in Ethiopia: a weak link in democratic transformation -- Challenges and prospects of democratization in Sudan -- The cultivation of a caring patronage system for the Sudanese democratization process: compilation of incompatibles? -- Contestation of democracy in Kenya -- Understanding the three paradoxical trajectories: democracy, clan and Islam in the state-building process of Somaliland -- Developing an alternative approach to democratization in the transitional societies of the Greater Horn -- Conclusion |
| Summary |
In the early 1990s, a wave of democratization swept through many African countries, but its prevailing election-centred liberal approach failed to result in sustainable democracies. Why should this be and what can be done about it? This multi-disciplinary work on the Greater Horn investigates the impact on the efforts to bring greater democratization of the characteristically complex socio-economic state structures of the countries of the Greater Horn of Africa and, importantly, suggests an alternative, more effective, approach. Detailed studies of Ethiopia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda reveal the difficulties posed by institutional structures that are often weak and lack accountability; fragmented economies - which range from modern capitalist to subsistence farming and pastoral systems; and governance marked by differing conceptions of property rights and conflict adjudication practices and varied resource allocation systems. Chronic violent ethnic-based civil wars and social conflicts and deep-rooted ethnic divisions only exacerbate the states' ability to foster democratic governance, or even to manage diversity properly. The contributors examine why the countries of the Horn have been unable to overcome these obstacles to democratization and explore how and why an alternative approach is more likely to be compatible with the socioeconomic realities and cultural values in transitional societies.-- Provided by publisher |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and index |
| Notes |
Print version record |
| Subject |
Democratization -- Horn of Africa
|
|
Democratization
|
|
Politics and government
|
| SUBJECT |
Horn of Africa -- Politics and government
|
| Subject |
Africa -- Horn of Africa
|
| Form |
Electronic book
|
| Author |
Kidane Mengisteab, editor.
|
| ISBN |
9781787449046 |
|
1787449041 |
|
