Political reform

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511492648.011

10 - Political reform

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 January 2010

Benno J. Ndulu ,

Stephen A. O'Connell ,

Paul Collier and

Benno J. Ndulu: Affiliation:
The World Bank
Stephen A. O'Connell: Affiliation:
Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania
Robert H. Bates: Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Paul Collier: Affiliation:
University of Oxford
Chukwuma C. Soludo: Affiliation:
Central Bank of Nigeria
Robert H. Bates: Affiliation:
Eaton Professor of the Science of Government Harvard University

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Summary

This chapter describes the process of political reform in late twentieth-century Africa and explores its impact on the economic behavior of governments. When I speak of “political reform,” I refer to the movement from no-party or one-party to multi-party political systems or from military to civilian regimes. Largely ignoring political liberties – freedom of association and expression, for example – and political rights – such as the right to vote and campaign for office – I join with Ottaway (1997), Ihonovbere (1998), and others (e.g. Hutchful 1997)) in distinguishing between democratization and reform, and focus solely on the latter.

To trace the trajectory of political reform, I turn to the standard chronicles and for forty-six countries over a twenty-six year period (1970–95) I ask: did the head of state in place on December 31 of that year preside over:

A no-party system – i.e. a political system in which parties were legally banned and effectively suppressed?
A single-party system?
Or a multi-party political system?

I also ask whether the head of state was – or was not –a military official. Political reform involves the transition from a no- or single-party to a multi-party political system, or from a military to a civilian regime.

Background

In the course of their strategic retreat from the continent, imperial governments first granted power to local legislatures, then shared power with cabinets that included local politicians, and finally surrendered power to local executives.

Information

Type: Chapter
Information: The Political Economy of Economic Growth in Africa, 1960–2000 , pp. 348 - 390

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511492648.011 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2007

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