Democracy in Africa: Colonization vs. Modernization

Abstract

A country’s degree of democratic development is the best predictor of economic prosperity. African nations are some of the poorest on the planet and tend to have low levels of democracy, while wealthier nations tend toward higher levels. If Africa is going to increase its economic output, theory suggests one of the best ways to accomplish such a goal is to increase African democracy levels. Why do some countries in Africa develop democracy while others do not? I analyze the Freedom House and Polity IV democracy scores for each country in order to determine which countries are the most democratic and compare them with historical and demographic data, such as political instability events, fragmentation, population, GDP, and colonial history, in order to give a more robust picture of what factors matter most in the development of democracy in Africa. I also analyze data on countries outside of Africa in order to determine whether or not Africa has different prerequisites for democracy than the rest of the world. I theorize literacy rates, urbanization, and elimination of fragmentation may be more important than economic factors in the development of democracy in Africa.