Public Opinion, Democracy, and Market Reform in Africa

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Cambridge University Press, Sep 27, 2004 - Political Science - 488 pages
Based on the Afrobarometer, a survey research project, this examination of public opinion in sub-Saharan Africa reveals what ordinary Africans think about democracy and market reforms, subjects on which almost nothing is otherwise known. The authors reveal that widespread support for democracy in Africa is shallow and that Africans consequently feel trapped between state and market. Although they are learning about reform through knowledge and experience, it is assumed that few countries are likely to attain full-fledged democratic market status anytime soon.

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About the author (2004)

Professor Michael Bratton is Professor of Political Science and at the African Studies Center at Michigan State University. He is the co-founder and co-director of the Afrobarometer, a comparative series of national political attitude surveys covering more than a dozen African countries. He is the recipient of numerous grants and awards for his work on Africa and his ongoing research there. He is also a member of the Editorial Board for the Journal of Modern African Studies and the co-author (with Nicolas van de Walle of Democratic Experiments in Africa: Regime Transitions in Comparative Perspective.

Professor Robert Britt Mattes is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Cape Town. He is the co-founder and co-director of the Afrobarometer along with Professors Bratton and Gyimah-Boadi. He is the author of numerous articles on African politics and has received many awards for his work on the subject. He is also currently the director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Politics in Africa at the University of Cape Town.

Professor E. Gyimah-Boadi is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana in Legon. He is co-founder and co-director of the Afrobarometer along with Professors Bratton and Mattes. He is also the Executive Director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) in Accra. He frequently contributes to scholarly journals and books on Africa.

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