Democratizing Africa: Two Decades of U.S. Policy

Abstract

ABSTRACT At the end of the Cold War, the United States launched a policy of actively promoting democracy around the world. Significant budgets were allocated to this objective. Africa became a major target in view of its preponderance of totalitarian “one-party” states. At the same time, a new generation of educated Africans began to agitate for multiparty democracy internally. The first half of the 1990s saw the creation of multiparty systems in most African countries, with considerable opening of the political process toward new citizen freedoms and a significant reduction of oppressive control. On the other hand, the creation of many competing political parties and the holding of “free and fair” elections did not result in much real democracy. The same old corrupt ruling parties managed to rig elections in order to keep themselves in power, and there was very little real change. It was clear by the year 1995 that the growth of democracy is a long-term process requiring cultural evolution. Clean electio...