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Archive for January, 2011

Power Sharing Agreements and Problematic Elections in Africa

Are power sharing agreements a bad solution to flawed African elections? In the January 2011 issue of Governance, I point out that most of what we know about successful power sharing comes from either post-conflict countries or from cases which actually lack important features of power sharing models.  However, many of Africa’s recent power sharing [...]

January 12, 2011 · admin · 4 Comments
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• FEATURED RESEARCH: “Questioning Tocqueville in Africa”

  "Questioning Tocqueville in Africa: Continuity and Change in Civil society During Nigeria’s Democratization"

  Alexis de Tocqueville's influence on the democratization literature has encouraged the idea that transitions require an independent civil society. However this view reifies boundaries between state and society, and it over-predicts civil society confrontation with governments. Drawing upon Hegel, I develop a model that clusters organizations according to goal orientation and autonomy. I then examine civil society during Nigeria’s democratization. I attribute changes in autonomy and goal orientation of organizations to transnational organizing, coalition building, and repression. My findings question the assumption that autonomous organizations will challenge the state.

  (This article appears in the February 2011 issue of Democratization, vol. 18, no. 1)