Democracy And Party Systems In Developing Countries

This book examines and compares the emergence, development and impact of the party systems in post-colonial India and post-apartheid South Africa. It sheds light on the crucial role and function of party systems in democratising developing countries. Although often described as political miracles or empirical anomalies, both countries actually figure prominently in party system and democratic theory due to their regional importance and the important role the party system plays in their political trajectory. The author employs a diachronic comparison of the two party systems, with a distinct focus on the role of party agency in the shaping and maintenance of one-party-dominance and on the role of the two party systems as independent variables. Highlighting the similarities and differences between the two systems, he examines whether the lessons learned from the Indian experience in terms of the function and effects of the country’s post-independent party system and the role of party agency therein are applicable to South Africa. This book will be of interest to academics working in the field of democracy, comparative politics and development in general, and South Africa and South Asia in particular.

A comparative study of the role of political parties and movements in the founding and survival of developing world democracies.

This book examines the experience of democracy in developing countries such as Mexico, Zambia, India and Indonesia. It considers the patchy democratic record of such countries, as well as investigating the relationship between external and domestic factors to democratisation. The contributors assess the importance to democratic progress of a number of key variables, including: *the institutionalisation of political parties and electoral systems * the role of civil society *the influence of external actors, such as the European Union

An independent judiciary is considered an indication of a developing nation’s level of democracy

Students of political parties and of Third World politics will find this introductory textbook both useful and stimulating. Political Parties in the Third World demonstrates the continuing importance and versatility of Third World parties, which persist in most Third World states, including those governed by military regimes. The main part of the book consists of specially commissioned case studies covering the main Third World regions and types of party systms -- Zambia, Ghana, Iraq, India, Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica and Cuba. Each study examines the origins and development of the party system, parties' political role and future prospects. The conclusion draws on these studies to consider how parties persist as institu

Do party systems help or hinder democracy in Africa? Drawing lessons from different types of party systems in six African countries, this volume shows that party systems affect democracy in Africa in ways that are unexpectedly different from the relation between party systems and democracy observed elsewhere.

This is the latest in the At the Polls series, in which Duke University Press has joined with the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research to publish studies on the electoral process as it functions around the world. Cited by Choice for its "high standard of scholarly analysis and objectivity," the series provides both a chronicle of events and a thorough analysis of the election results.

Until the late 1980s, there were very few democratically elected governments in the developing world. These areas were characterized by a range of authoritarian regimes from military administrations to one-party dictatorships. Over the past decade, however, the situation has altered significantly and an increasing number of developing countries have made the transition to democracy. For some, this process of building and consolidating democracy has been relatively easy, while for others, it has proved more complex and harder to sustain. In this important new textbook, Jeff Haynes seeks to explain why these differences occur. Adopting a broadly comparative approach, he begins by examining the theories and practice of democratic transition and consolidation in the new democracies of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Haynes argues persuasively that a country's ability to consolidate democracy depends not only on the interaction of structural and agency factors, but also on a variety of specific domestic and international concerns which may help or hinder democratic progress. Using a wide range of case studies to illustrate his argument, Haynes provides an accessible and comprehensive analysis of the processes and problems of democratic consolidation in developing nations. This is an important textbook that will be invaluable to students in a variety of areas from politics and comparative politics to development studies and history.