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Democratic Republic of Congo Democracy and political participation: An assessment of the first steps into the 3rd Republic
Africa, Democracy, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyAs the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prepares to go to the polls in 2011, for only the second time in more than forty years, this report, focusing on the country’s democratic credentials states that Executive power is rapidly being consolidated, to the detriment of other governance institutions. This is threatening credible participation of the Congolese citizens in the...
Are swing voters instruments of democracy or farmers of clientelism? Evidence from Ghana
Africa, Article / Working Paper, Democracy, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Academic/Think TankThis paper states that is one of the first to systematically address the question of whether strength of ethnic identity, political parties’ campaigns, poverty, or evaluation of clientelism versus collective/public goods, determines who becomes a persuadable voter in Africa. The paper conducts an empirical analysis using a unique data set from a survey conducted ahead of Ghana’...
Elections and accountability in South Africa
Africa, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyAllowing citizens to decide whether or not to extend a government’s tenure through regular elections is the principal mechanism of political accountability. It compels politicians to be more responsive to the electorate’s needs. Citizens use their vote to choose better governments and to structure incentives for the incumbents that should induce them to behave while...
The power of proximity: strategic decisions in African Party Politics
Africa, Article / Working Paper, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Civil SocietyThere is increasing availability of survey data which has enabled researchers to rethink and challenge the notion that ethnicity is a main determinant of political party success. The observation that people are more likely to vote regionally than ethnically, has inspired a review of the idea that African voters act parochially rather than tribally. This paper...
Inter-party relations and democracy in Botswana
Africa, Democracy, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyBotswana’s post-independence history has been characterised by rapid economic growth and social change. In the changing political atmosphere the citizens have begun to put pressure on political institutions as well as on the state to create more effective representation and more equitable processes for power distribution. This study examines the changing political situation and...
African Peace and Security Council Report (ACP-EU, 15 April 2010)
Africa, Civil Society, Democracy, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyIncludes report on expert level meeting with stakeholders to assess the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, plus pre-election analyses and country analyses. The report is published by the Institute for Security Studies. Country analyses in this issue is on Togo and Burundi.
Nations in Transit 2011
Corruption, Democracy, Electoral Systems, Europe and CIS, Human Rights, Justice, Media, Political Parties, Report, Civil SocietyNations in Transit is Freedom House’s comprehensive, comparative study of democratic development in 29 countries from Central Europe to Eurasia. The 2011 report - covering events of 2010 suggests that the authoritarian countries of the former Soviet Union have built governance systems that are resistant to reform and therefore increasingly vulnerable to unpredictable...
Political cycles and economic performance in OECD countries: empirical evidence from 1951-2006
Article / Working Paper, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Academic/Think TankThis paper examines whether electoral motives and government ideology influence short-term economic performance. I employ data on annual GDP growth in 21 OECD countries over the 1951-2006 period and provide a battery of empirical tests. In countries with two-party systems GDP growth is boosted before elections and, under leftwing governments, in the first two years of a legislative period....
Political and institutional checks on corruption: Explaining the performance of Brazilian Audit Institutions
Article / Working Paper, Corruption, Democracy, Electoral Systems, Latin America and the Carribean, Political Parties, Academic/Think TankThis article investigates the performance determinants of accountability institutions in new democracies. Current scholarship on accountability has identified a distinct mechanism through which the introduction of political competition may affect such institutions: the electoral connection or vertical accountability mechanism. This connection is not expected to be effective in new democracies,...
Uganda: The Management of Elections
Africa, Civil Society, Corruption, Electoral Systems, Political Parties, Civil SocietyWith Uganda's upcoming multiparty elections to be held in February 2011, there is an added debate around legitmate electoral processes. To aid the investigation, this study comprises an audit of the national legislative framework against the relevant African and international standards for holding elections, and its practical measures for implementation. It highlights concerns...