Legislative Development in Africa: Politics and Postcolonial Legacies by Ken Och

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What explains the variation in the functions and powers of various legislatures throughout Africa? Under what conditions can powerful and independent democratic legislatures emerge from their autocratic foundations? In this book, Ken Ochieng' Opalo explains the roles of African legislatures and looks at their development since colonial rule.

FORMATHardcover LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

What explains contemporary variations in African legislative institutions – including their strengths and weaknesses? Compared with the more powerful executive branches, legislatures throughout the continent have historically been classified as weak and largely inconsequential to policy-making processes. But, as Ken Ochieng' Opalo suggests here, African legislatures actually serve important roles, and under certain conditions, powerful and independent democratic legislatures can emerge from their autocratic foundations. In this book, Opalo examines the colonial origins of African legislatures, as well as how postcolonial intra-elite politics structured the processes of adapting inherited colonial legislatures to local political contexts and therefore continued legislative development. Through case studies of Kenya and Zambia, Opalo offers a comparative longitudinal study of the evolution of legislative strength and institutionalization as well as a regional survey of legislative development under colonial rule, postcolonial autocratic single-party rule, and multiparty politics throughout Africa.

Author Biography

Ken Ochieng' Opalo is an assistant professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Washington DC. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University and B.A. from Yale University, Connecticut. His work has been published in journals such as the British Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Democracy, and the Journal of Eastern African Studies. His research interests include historical institutional development (with a focus on legislatures), the political economy of development, and the politics of the provision of public goods and services. Opalo's research has been supported by Stanford University's Susan Ford Dorsey Fellowship, the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID), and the Omidyar Network.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction; 2. Legislative development in Africa; 3. Intra-elite politics and credible commitment; 4. Colonial origins of parliaments in Kenya and Zambia; 5. Elite control and legislative development; 6. Legislative institutionalization in time; 7. Electoral politics and legislative independence; 8. Conclusion.

Review

'Opalo's highly original argument makes a major contribution to political science. He substantiates his counter-intuitive claim - that legislatures govern more effectively when democracy emerges from under the thumb of a strong autocrat - with a wealth of qualitative and quantitative evidence from the key cases of Kenya and Zambia. He presents sophisticated ideas with compelling prose. This masterful book contributes to various literatures, including democratic transitions, authoritarian politics, and African studies. A must read.' James Raymond Vreeland, Princeton University, New Jersey

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Examined the development of legislatures under colonial rule, post-colonial autocratic single party rule, and multi-party politics in Africa.

Review Quote

'Opalo's highly original argument makes a major contribution to political science. He substantiates his counter-intuitive claim - that legislatures govern more effectively when democracy emerges from under the thumb of a strong autocrat - with a wealth of qualitative and quantitative evidence from the key cases of Kenya and Zambia. He presents sophisticated ideas with compelling prose. This masterful book contributes to various literatures, including democratic transitions, authoritarian politics, and African studies. A must read.' James Raymond Vreeland, Princeton University, New Jersey

Promotional "Headline"

Examined the development of legislatures under colonial rule, post-colonial autocratic single party rule, and multi-party politics in Africa.

Description for Bookstore

What explains the variation in the functions and powers of various legislatures throughout Africa? Under what conditions can powerful and independent democratic legislatures emerge from their autocratic foundations? In this book, Ken Ochieng' Opalo explains the roles of African legislatures and looks at their development since colonial rule.

Description for Library

What explains the variation in the functions and powers of various legislatures throughout Africa? Under what conditions can powerful and independent democratic legislatures emerge from their autocratic foundations? In this book, Ken Ochieng' Opalo explains the roles of African legislatures and looks at their development since colonial rule.

Details ISBN110849210X Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 2019 ISBN-10 110849210X ISBN-13 9781108492102 Format Hardcover Imprint Cambridge University Press Place of Publication Cambridge Country of Publication United Kingdom DEWEY 328.6 Author Ken Ochieng' Opalo Affiliation Georgetown University, Washington DC Subtitle Politics and Postcolonial Legacies Publication Date 2019-06-20 Pages 290 Short Title Legislative Development in Africa Language English UK Release Date 2019-06-20 AU Release Date 2019-06-20 NZ Release Date 2019-06-20 Illustrations Worked examples or Exercises Alternative 9781108684651 Audience Professional & Vocational We've got this

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