Africa - Politics
Africa and democracy haven't always been two words that go together well, because following the colonization of much of Africa, democracies were established but they struggled (and sometimes failed) to become stable -- and many continue to struggle today. This paper reviews the democratic movements in Africa, some of which failed, and some have succeeded. This paper also projects the success or failure of future democracies in Africa.
What are the primary characteristics for the existence of a democracy?
A democracy is far more than just the establishment of government institutions and the setting up of a constitution. It is more than just a set of values, rules, laws, and the election of the people who are sworn to uphold those values, rules, and laws. According to the U.S. Department of State, a democracy is a government in which "…power and civic responsibility are exercised by all adult citizens" (State). The power in a democracy can be exercised either directly, or by elected representatives whose elections took place in a free and open environment.
A democracy is based on "the principles of majority rule and individual rights," and moreover, those leaders in a democracy must constantly be cognizant of the rights of citizens to enjoy free speech and freedom of religion (State). There should be "equal protection under the law" for the citizens, and the citizens should have the un-hindered opportunity to organize into political parties and become fully enfranchised into the "political, economic and cultural life of the society" (State).
Besides their rights under a democratic form of government, citizens must also accept the responsibility to fully participate in the political system that is what actually protects all the rights they have been accorded in their legal constitution. Also, in a democratic society there is generally a series of private institutions and organizations, offering a diversity of opportunities for those citizens that wish to get involved; this is called "pluralism" (State).
Why were African countries at independence mostly democracies?
Professor Apollos O. Nwauwa (Kent State University) points out that Western democracies (America and Western Europe) have viewed democracy as though it is exclusively a product of their societies. Also, the bias in the West toward Africa has led to the belief that Africans are "incapable...
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