BP9: Democracy and electoral alternation: Evolving African attitudes

Almost 15 years have passed since waves of democratization began to crash on African shores. Transitions to multiparty rule were often greeted with mass public celebration.  But how long does any such political enthusiasm last?   Are Africans’ expressed commitments to democracy  enduring or ephemeral?

This paper argues that democratic commitments are not fixed. They tend to decline with the passage of time.  But, more reassuringly, democratic commitments can be refreshed by an electoral alternation of power.