Stephanie Matti

Democratic Contestation on the Margins: Regimes in Small African Countries Stephanie Matti

Marc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.; This edited volume focuses on the democratic performance of regimes in some of the least populous countries on the African continent. Using a framework developed by Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way, each case study provides in-depth analysis of democratic contestation in the following arenas: electoral, judiciary, legislature, media and civil society. This volume also examines the key factors that push these regimes in either democratic or authoritarian directions, and how these regimes are likely to evolve in the future.--Provided by publisher. Review Quotes: This book fills an important gap by providing useful accounts of current politics in six small and infrequently discussed African states. Each case study uses the framework of competitive authoritarianism to present material on the main arenas of democratic contestation. I recommend this book to anyone seeking up-to-date comparative information on the struggles for democratization in these countries.--Nelson Kasfir, Professor of Government Emeritus, Dartmouth CollegeTable of Contents: 1. Democratic Contestation on the Margins Claire Metelits and Stephanie Matti 2. Competitive Authoritarianism and Theories of Regime Change Claire Metelits and Stephanie Matti 3. Democratic Contestation in Botswana Nicola de Jager and Ian Taylor 4. Eroding Democracy: Competitive Authoritarian Drift in Benin Mathurin C. Houngnikpo 5. Political Uncertainty in Burkina Faso Daniel Eizenga 6. Democratic Governance in the New Republic of Togo Benjamin A. Okonofua 7. Authoritarianism and Geostrategic Politics in Djibouti Claire Metelits and Stephanie Matti 8. Cycles of Regime Change in Guinea-Bissau Davin O Regan 9. Listening to the Margins Claire Metelits and Stephanie Matti"Review Quotes: The notion of competitive authoritarianism provides a better understanding of hybrid regimes executing political hegemony with authoritarian elements within a multi-party democracy. The case studies from smaller African countries in this volume offer further insights into this phenomenon and add value to the debate of a relevant concept.--Henning Melber, University of Pretoria and the University of the Free StateBrief Description: "This edited volume focuses on the democratic performance of regimes in some of the least populous countries on the African continent. Using a framework developed by Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way, each case study provides in-depth analysis of democratic contestation in the following arenas: electoral, judiciary, legislature, media and civil society. This volume also examines the key factors that push these regimes in either democratic or authoritarian directions, and how these regimes are likely to evolve in the future."--Provided by publisher. Review Quotes: This volume examines a number of demographically small African countries, which are also among the least-studied countries on earth. Each case study will be of intrinsic interest to those seeking to understand these little-known cases. More importantly, however, each chapter contributes crucial information on how these regimes might best be categorized for comparative theoretical analysis. By providing valuable and nuanced discussions of the nature of each of these cases, the volume also contributes important data for the elaboration of broader theories of democratization and regime change, in Africa and beyond.--Leonardo A. Villalon, University of Florida International Center"Biographical Note: Claire Metelits is a visiting scholar at Davidson College. Stephanie Matti works in humanitarian response. Publisher Marketing: This edited volume focuses on the democratic performance of regimes in some of the least populous countries on the African continent. Using a framework developed by Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way, each case study provides in-depth analysis of democratic contestation in the following arenas: electoral, judiciary, legislature, media, and civil society. This volume also examines the key factors that push these regimes in either democratic or authoritarian directions, and how these regimes are likely to evolve in the future.

Contributor Bio:  Metelits, Claire Claire Metelits is assistant professor of political science at Washington State University. Contributor Bio:  Houngnikpo, Mathurin C, Dr Matt Houngnikpo is Assistant Professor, Miami University of Ohio. Contributor Bio:  Taylor, Ian Ian Taylor, a young local historian of the railroads, utilized several local archival collections to bring together the imagery of this story. He has studied the local history of the Dallas-Fort Worth area for many years and has been very interested in the causes for its rapid emergence. The archives of the local museums, businesses, colleges, and libraries contributed many of the images found in this book.