PIA 2574 Governance and the Failure of the African State Theme: Institutions and the “New” Africa “An Editorial?”

Corny but…

Overview of Themes 1. Sovereignty 2. Debates About Democracy 3. Traditionalism 4. Institutionalism 5. Collapse 6. Reasons for Collapse

Sovereignty

The Primacy of the African Nation-State- How sovereign a. Impact of trans-national actors b. Issue of micro-states c. Rational Actor model- public or social choice theory

Swaziland; 6,000 square miles Population, 1.1 million

The Primacy of the African Nation-State- How sovereign d. Collective choice is it non-rational? Is it more than an aggregate of individuals? e. The role of international regimes- UN, World Bank, IMF, etc. New International Order (NIO)

Governance and Sovereignty- Rules of the Game politics: Zero/sum vs. sum/sum politics "Splintering"- the break up of states- centrifugal forces Interest Group Liberalism-how real? Civil Society as organizational, not individual, or the mass.

Or the Leipzig Option (Mass Action)

Governance and Sovereignty- The need for apathy? Constitutional vs. social stability Institutional structures and Checks and balances:

South African Political Poster

Debates about Democracy

Democracy: What is it? Democracy and: 1. Governance 2. Local Government 3. Civil Society

Definitions of Democracy: Review Presidential Systems- Separation of Powers Parliamentary systems- Representation and Fusion Traditional Africa- Consensus and hierarchy

Direct Democracy vs. Representative Democracy Populism vs. Minority rights Shifting majorities Problem with Plebiscites Guinea 1958 “No” Vote

Review: James Madison and Democracy: The problem with majorities Tyranny Factions

Types of Democracy Direct Democracy Indirect Democracy Pluralism vs. Polyarchy Civil Society Cooperative Movement

Democracy?

Definitions of Democracy in Africa The First Issue: Opposition vs. Consensus The Second Issue: “A Chief is a Chief by the People”

South Africa’s Parliament

Traditional Society and Democracy Forms of Traditional Influence in Local Government Grass Roots- traditional governance mechanisms governance in sub- Saharan Africa The Answer or the Problem?

Defining Democracy Village democracy and talking things out Ubuntu, Ujamaa and Humanism How Collective, How Market Friendly

Traditionalism

Ashante, Ghana

Ethnicity, Class and Religion Contextual- intensification of ethnic identity- and the reverse Ethnicity as Nationalism Ethnicity and Class

Zulu Clan- Early 20 th Century

How Chiefs Influence Governance Continued influence and high status of those who hold “tribal” authority (Dyarchy) Presence in high political and administrative positions of those who are descendents or relatives of traditional leaders Status without official sanction but consists of party functionaries or bureaucrats

Forms of Traditional Influence on Local Level Governance Bicameral- Traditional Elites represented in an Upper House Unicameral- Preserved Traditional Seats in Legislature Grassroots: Traditional Mechanisms of Governance at sub-district, area or village level

Zambia House of Chiefs

Forms of Traditional Influence on Local Level Governance Full Meetings (Town Hall Style) Consensus by Direct Democracy Pure Traditional Representation- Traditional Councils (Appointed) Partial- Councils which are half elected and half traditional

GIS trainer Kent Burger with Tawana Botswana Land Board participants

Forms of Traditional Influence on Local Level Governance Technical and Deconcentrated Boards. Department heads and Traditional Representatives Specialized through the Traditional judicial Function Triangular-2 traditional, 2 elected councilors and two appointed by central government (eg. Land Boards)

Traditional Elites Inherited States failed to deal with Traditional Leadership Continuing Influence of Traditional Elites regardless of formal standing and regime type

Tanganyika Chiefs 1961

Traditional Leadership in Tanzania Tanzania Abolishes Chiefs in 1960s Study of Political Party Activists (Norman Miller) Many activists are former traditional elites or relatives of chiefs and sub- chiefs

Traditional Leadership in Tanzania Informally the Party remained highly dependent upon traditional leaders on an informal basis Traditional political values still socialize people (both in urban and rural areas) Party informally accepts traditional roles as long as it give loyalty to the party

Zimbabwe Traditional Leaders

Traditional Influence-Review 1. Full Meeting (Town Hall style)- Direct Democracy 2. Pure Form- Traditional Councils (Appointed) 3. Partial- Half Elected/Half Traditional 4. Technical- deconcentrated. Department heads and Traditional (No Elections

Traditional Influence 5. Specialized- Judicial Function 6. Specialized Partial- Land Board (2 Trad., 2 LG, 2 Cen. Gov.) 7. Bicameral- Traditional as an upper house

African Justice?

Brief Discussion So What about Traditionalism? So What about Traditionalism?

Ten Minute Break Remember Purposeful Penny Coffee: 8:30-12:30 Monday-Friday

Institutionalism

THE INSTITUTIONAL STATE What is the "Institutional State?“ Why is it important?

The importance of political institutions Rules and processes (formal and informal) are essential

The Institutional State: Civil Society Institutionalized Norms Stable Government

The Institutional State: Permanent Government: The Administrative apparatus Goal: Muted Cultural Differences Defining Bureaucracy- the permanent government

The Institutional State Institutionalized Norms and Rules Diverse and Representative Civil Society Stable Government Structures Muted Cultural Differences

Elinor Ostrom

The Institutional State Decentralized (Devolved) Government Structures Effective Permanent Government (The Administrative Apparatus) Middle Class Social Compact Incorporate Traditional Governance

Collapse

The Current Image

The Institutional State: The Reality Breakdown of Governance Bureaucracy and Corruption Military Coups

The Institutional State: The Reality Self Serving Bureaucrats Bureaucratic Elites Civil War-Violence: Inter-state Conflict and African Development

Reasons for Collapse

Explanations 1. Ethnicity 2. Ideology 3. Military 4. Colonial Borders 5. Institutional Neglect 6. International Issues

Ethnicity: Congo Wars

Ethnicity, Class and Religion Theories of Ethnicity: Review Primordialism Ethnicity and Religion cultural sub-nationalism Changing Context

Ghana Martin Staniland, The Lions of Dagbon: Political Change in Northern Ghana (London: Cambridge University Press, 1975)

Ideology: How Important African regimes regardless of ideology are state centric Skimmed public resources Extensive corruption

Irrelevance of Ideology Patriarchal leadership Organizational elites Collapse of the social contract with the state centered middle class

South Africa 2008

The Viability of Colonial Borders System collapse in central Africa, Invading armies: Uganda, Rwanda, Namibia and Zimbabwe 5.4 Million Deaths in Congo. Africa’s World War

Somali Refugees

The Military: How Important?

The Ivory Coast Model: Triumph and Tragedy Geography and Ethnicity North- Muslim, Mande; South: East, Akan, Christian; West, Kru, links with Liberia and Guinea The Ivory Coast Miracle The death of the Founding President: Felix Houphouet Boigny

Tragedy in West Africa New York Times: The next “state collapse in Africa” Ivory Coast- Has it? Ghana’s North? Assassination and tension in Dagbon The next Crisis can happen anywhere

Africa’s Reality Breakdown of Governance Corruption Military Coups and Authoritarianism Self Serving Bureaucrats Bureaucratic Elites State Debt

Above all the problem of the Zero-Sum Game. The Inability to Compromise

Military Intervention: narrow, ethnic interests or military regimes, 1970s-1990s Uganda: Obote, Amin and Museveni Zaire: Mobutu and “Big Manism” Somalia, Ethiopia: Totalitarianism and Anarchy Liberia and Sierra Leone: militarized ethnicity and Child Soldiers

Uganda Letter

Uganda Letter Page 2

Institutional Negelct: Rules and Institutions Balance between mobilization and political institutions Samuel P. Huntington

The Failure of Institutional Development Problem of Inherited Institutions Mobilization- High, Institutionalization Low Failure of political institutions Military- failure to contain political demands

Rules and Institutions Adaptability rather than rigidity Complexity rather than simple Coherence rather than disunity Devolution and autonomy rather than subordinate state structures

Congo

Abandonment of Africa by the international community Problem of “race” and racial sensitivity Perception of “primordial tribalism” in Africa- Violence and starvation since independence Donor fatigue: Debt and the End of the Cold War Foreigners as Invaders: “Tarzan [is still] an Expatriate?”

International Community?

International Neglect and Collapse of the African International System Lack of interest of international community Civil War-Violence, Inter-state Conflict and African Development Libya- Only concern: The Oil?

Discussion Should Zapiro be contained? Note: So Called “Adult Content” Issues to be Discussed Next Two Slides

Discussion: How can the African crisis be addressed? How do we assess the role of the media? Should CNN be banned in Africa? What argument do our authors make about the nature of the African crisis? Critique them What picture of Northern influence over African states does the reading give us?

At Issue Primacy of democratic governance or “contained political structures” Discussion: Is this important?