Democratization and Institutional Reform

Abstract

Democratization is a gamble in plural societies. On the one hand, democratization, in conjunction with low levels of socioeconomic development and ethnic fragmentation has often enhanced the likelihood of civil war (Jakobsen 1996). On the other hand, some new democracies in ethnically heterogeneous societies have proven adept at fostering peace and prosperity, as in Mauritius, Botswana and post-apartheid South Africa. Table 8.1 indicates that, in Africa, new democracies and semi-democracies have been associated with high and medium intensities of internal war, as well as with peaceful politics.