Repeated Multiparty Elections Expand Civil Liberties

Abstract

Democracy and Elections in Africa. By I. Lindberg Staffan. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. 248 pp., $55.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-8018-8332-3), $24.95 paper (ISBN: 0-8018-8333-0). Democracy and multiparty elections are high on the agendas of many international actors, human rights groups, and African governments. Although the possibilities for free association, monitoring the use of power, and electoral competition have increased, electoral fraud and political violence are prevalent in many African countries. As a result, democratization remains a critical area for researchers and practitioners interested in African affairs. It is, therefore, exciting to come across a book that presents new findings on this subject, as Staffan Lindberg's Democracy and Elections in Africa does. Equally exciting, Lindberg effectively disputes the prevailing view that democratization in Africa has stagnated or declined since the transformations of the early 1990s. Lindberg brings positive news to development and foreign policy practitioners. Namely, assistance in organizing and conducting elections is an effective way to support the development of democracy. Even poorly organized elections can be a worthwhile exercise if one takes a long-term perspective. Support should not be reduced after the first or second election, even if they do not measure up to expectations. Moreover, Democracy and Elections in Africa has significance beyond Africa, contributing to our understanding of democratization and comparative politics in general. Lindberg's research design is methodologically rigorous. It includes data on 17 variables for 232 national elections in 44 countries. The data span a 14-year period, from 1989 to 2003. In short, Democracy and Elections in Africa is based on a more comprehensive dataset than any previous study—including the frequently …