Disciplining democracy : development discourse and good governance in Africa / Rita Abrahamsen.

Format:

• Book

Author/Creator:

• Abrahamsen, Rita, 1966-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

• Africa--Economic policy.
• Africa.
• Economic policy.
• Democracy--Africa.
• Democracy.
• Economic development.
• Developing countries--Politics and government.

Local Subjects:

• Developing countries--Politics and government.

Physical Description:

xv, 168 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Zed Books ; New York : Distributed in the USA exclusively by Palgrave, 2000.

Summary:

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.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [148]-163) and index.

ISBN:

• 1856498581
• 185649859X

OCLC:

44447071