Theories of Democratic Governance

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how poverty is known to create conditions that prevent democracy. The paper provides an in-depth analysis of theories of democratic governance to identify key elements in the historical evolution of democratic theories as they relate to development in Africa. The paper compares democratic theories from the perspectives of human nature, socioeconomic standing, politics, morality, ethics and culture. The paper also contrasts actual country events and experiences with assertions of theorists in the field, including Aristotle, Robert Dahl, Thomas Hobbes, Immanuel Kant, Niccolo Machiavelli, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Joseph Alois Schumpeter and Alexis de Tocqueville.

Outline:
Democratic Theorists
Application of Relevant Democratic Theories to Key Development Issues in Africa Today
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In his essay, "Consolidating Democracy on a Troubled Continent," Oko (2000) notes that, "In the dawn of the new millennium, the quest for a durable democracy in Africa remains largely unsolved. As democratization efforts that engulfed Africa immediately after colonial rule quickly atrophied, authoritarian rule supplemented them, mostly in the form of military regimes and one-party states" (p. 573). Today, Africa is in the latter stage of its so-called "third wave" of democratic reforms, but many international observers question whether these initiatives are too little too late to solve the enormous and complex problems facing the continent in the 21st century."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Black's law dictionary. (1990). St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Co.
• Dahl, R. (1985). Controlling nuclear weapons: Democracy versus guardianship. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.
• Flikschuh, K. (2000). Kant and modern political philosophy. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
• Grant, R. W. (1997). Hypocrisy and integrity: Machiavelli, Rousseau, and the ethics of politics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Hobbes, T. (1958). Leviathan. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company.

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• Essay # 39523 : "John Adams' Political Theory of Government"

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