The Economist recently published an article (with a thematic map and graph) about African elections and democracy and the emerging electoral norm in Africa which is closely related to an emerging anti-coup norm on the continent. Noting that the number of coups in Africa has dropped over the last decade, it references internal, people-power factors that have forced even despots, putschists and reactionaries to appease public discontent by way of elections, some pro forma others less so. The article further lays out the role of changes in the global scene that have made elections more frequent: Continue reading
