Disciplining democracy
Subtitle: development discourse and good governance in Africa
By: Rita Abrahmsen.
Publisher: Zed Books
Published: 2000
Place of publication: London; New York, N.Y
Language: eng
Number of pages: 168
Subjects: Democracy -- Africa.; Economic development.; Africa -- Economic policy.; Developing countries -- Politics and government.
Description: This thought-provoking book does not simply link the West's good governance agenda with the demise of the Soviet Union. Abrahamsen shows that this democratic agenda involves little more than superficial institutional reforms. The West's primary goal in developing countries remains the enforcement of structural adjustment. African governments, in particular, remain in a double bind, nominally responsible to their electorates at home, but also beholden to external creditors and donors. Demands by impoverished electorates that their new democratic institutions actually work to defend their interests are often branded as illegitimate by the West.--Publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [148]-163) and index.