GOVERNANCE, CIVIL SOCIETY AND THE "NEW"

AFRICA

PIA 2574

“An End of Class Editorial”

Corny but…

The Primacy of the African Nation-State- How sovereign

a. Impact of trans-national actors

b. Issue of micro-states

c. Rational Actor model- public or social choice theory

Swaziland; 6,000 square milesPopulation, 1.1 million

The Primacy of the African Nation-State- How sovereign

d. Collective choice is it non-rational? Is it more than an aggregate of individuals?

e. The role of international regimes- UN, World Bank, IMF, etc. New International Order (NIO)

Targeting Economic Groups

Democracy: What is it?

Democracy and:

1. Governance

2. Local Government

3. Civil Society

Types of Democracy

• Direct Democracy

• Indirect Democracy

• Pluralism vs. Polyarchy

• Civil Society

• Cooperative Movement

Review: James Madison and Democracy:

The problem with majorities

Tyranny

Factions

Direct Democracy vs. Representative Democracy

Populism vs. Minority rights

Shifting majorities

Problem with

Plebiscites

Guinea 1958 “No” Vote

Definitions of Democracy in Africa

The First Issue: Opposition vs. Consensus

The Second Issue: “A Chief is a Chief by the People”

Ashante, Ghana

Definitions of Democracy: Review

Presidential Systems- Separation of Powers

Parliamentary systems- Representation and Fusion

Traditional Africa- Consensus and hierarchy

South Africa’s Parliament

Defining Democracy

Village democracy and talking things out

Ubuntu, Ujamaa and Humanism

How Collective, How Market Friendly

THE INSTITUTIONAL STATE

What is the "Institutional State?“

Why is it important?

The Institutional State:

Civil Society

Institutionalized

Norms

Stable Government

The Institutional State:

Permanent Government: The Administrative apparatus

Goal: Muted Cultural Differences

Defining Bureaucracy- the permanent government

The Institutional State: The Reality

Breakdown of Governance

Bureaucracy and

Corruption

Military Coups

The Institutional State: The Reality

Self Serving Bureaucrats

Bureaucratic Elites

Civil War-Violence: Inter-state Conflict and African Development

Governance and Sovereignty-

Rules of the Game politics: Zero/sum vs. sum/sum politics

"Splintering"- the break up of states- centrifugal forces

Interest Group Liberalism-how real?

Civil Society as organizational, not individual, or the mass.

Congo Wars

Governance and Sovereignty-

The need for apathy?

Constitutional vs. social stability

Institutional structures and Checks and balances:

Traditional Society:

Forms of Traditional Influence in Local Government

Grass Roots- traditional governance mechanisms governance in sub-Saharan Africa

The Answer or the Problem?

Traditional Influence-Review

1. Full Meeting (Town Hall style)- Direct Democracy

2. Pure Form- Traditional Councils (Appointed)

3. Partial- Half Elected/Half Traditional 4. Technical- deconcentrated.

Department heads and Traditional (No Elections

African Justice?

Traditional Influence

5. Specialized- Judicial Function

6. Specialized Partial- Land Board (2 Trad., 2 LG, 2 Cen. Gov.)

7. Bicameral- Traditional as an upper house

J.M. Coetzee, Disgrace (London: Penguin, 1999).

Born, 1940

Cyprian Ekwensi, People of the City (London: Heineman, 1954)

1921-2007

Peter Abrahams, Mine Boy (London: Heineman, 1946)

Born: 1919

Discussion Points

HOW IMPORTANT IS DEMOCRACY FOR DEVELOPMENT?

HOW REALISTIC IS CIVIL SOCIETY IN AFRICA?

CAN GOVERNMENT BE STABILIZED?

Discussion

What have you been Reading?

What Should your colleagues read?

Logistics?