Synopses & Reviews
This book critically examines the realities of liberal democracy: its elitism and non-accountability; and its inequalities and injustices. Participatory systems and movements, whether in Athens, seventeenth and nineteenth-century England, or South Africa 1970-90, are more effective in satisfying the democratic aspirations of the people and in curtailing ambitious elites than what is passed off now as 'democracy.'By interrogating contemporary democratic regimes in the United States, and in Botswana and South Africa, the severe limitations and constraints inherent in liberal democracy are highlighted. The need for a clear evaluation of what constitutes democracy emerges as a powerful message of Kenneth Good's argument.
Review
"The Liberal Mode and Africa: Elites Against Democracy delivers a searching, powerful and innovative critique of liberal democracy, notably as it has arrived in Southern Africa." --Roger Southall, Department of Politics, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
"This is indeed a useful and timely contribution to the democracy debate in Africa." --Francis B. Nyamnjoh, Senior Lecturer, Department of Sociology, University of Botswana
About the Author
Kenneth Good is Professor of Political Studies at the University of Botswana, Gaborone. His works include
Development and Dependence: The Political Economy of Papua New Guinea and
Realizing Democracy in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.