The state, politics and democracy in Africa

Samuel Ojo Oloruntoba

Chapter 2 in The Elgar Companion to Democracy and Development in Africa, 2026, pp 16-32 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Historical evidence and the contemporary manifestations of politics are reflections of the nature and the character of the state. Although democracy was not alien to Africa before colonialism, the form of democracy that African countries have embarked on since their independence, and more importantly since the third wave of democratization, has been described as the democracy of the market. This chapter examines the interlinkages between the state, politics and democracy in Africa. It combines both theoretical and empirical analysis and finds that the ongoing crisis of democracy is firmly rooted in the nature of the state and politics. It concludes that getting democracy to serve the common good requires reimagining the state and its role and embeddedness in the society, recomposing politics from being controlled by predatory elites to developmental ones, and reengaging with democracy in ways that traditional and indigenous governance institutions play more roles.

Keywords: Africa; Democracy; Indigenous Governance; Politics; State (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035348176
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