From protest to parties: party-building and democratization in africa

From Protest to Parties provides a unique window into the politics of mobilization and protest in closed political regimes, and sheds light on how the choices of political elites affect organizational development. The book draws upon an in-depth analysis of 3 countries in Anglophone Africa: Zimbabwe, Zambia and Kenya. Why do strong opposition party organizations emerge in some democratizing countries, while parties in others remain weak or fragmented? Does polarization undermine democratization, or might it play an important role in party-building?>From Protest to Parties examines differences in opposition party strength in hybrid regimes in Africa. These political systems, which mix democratic and authoritarian characteristics, are a novel terrain in which to study party formation and organizational development. In order to understand why some parties are able to transcend ethnic cleavages, LeBas points to differences in past patterns of authoritarian rule. Where authoritarian states relied on allianceswith corporate actors,notably organized labor, they unintentionally armed their allies, providing them with structures and resources that could later be used to mobilize large constituencies and effectively challenge the state. From Protest to Parties also suggests that conflict can help build the institutions necessary fordemocracy just as surely as it can endanger them. Opposition parties are more likely to maintain their organizational cohesion and the commitment of activists when they use strategies and appeals that escalate conflict and re-orientsocial boundaries around the lines of partisan affiliation. Polarization forges stronger parties, but it also increases the likelihood of violence and authoritarian retrenchment.>From Protest to Parties draws upon an in-depth analysis of three countries in Anglophone Africa: Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Kenya. Though these countries share similar institutions and electoral rules, opposition party development takesa different route in each. In addition to providing a unique window into the politics of mobilization and protest in closed political regimes, the book sheds light on how the choices of political elites affect organizational development. INDICE: Acknowledgments List of Tables and Figures Acronyms Part I: Introduction Opposition Parties and Democratization in Africa The Sources of Opposition Party Strength Part II: Historical Legacies Corporatism in Zimbabwe Labor Control Regimes in Zambia and Kenya Part III: The Organization of Protest Opposition and Collective Identity in Zimbabwe Weak Ties in Zambia and Kenya Part IV: The Formation of Parties Polarization and Party-Building in Zimbabwe Fragmented Parties in Zambia and Kenya Conclusions Bibliography

• ISBN:
• Editorial: Oxford University
• Encuadernacion: Cartoné
• Páginas: 320
• Fecha Publicación: 28/04/2011
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés