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Political exclusion in Africa

Klaas, Brian; (2020) Political exclusion in Africa. In: Cheeseman, Nic, (ed.) The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Politics. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK. Green open access

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Abstract

The political history of Africa is a history defined by political exclusion. Groups of people and politicians have been excluded from political participation on the basis of religion, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and disability throughout the continent. Sometimes political exclusion is a result of a bigoted ideology of a group being inferior— as was the case during the colonial period. Other times, leaders use exclusion in order to maintain power, attempting to neutralize their rivals by removing them from the political system. That exclusion often creates destabiliziation, and sometimes violence. In some cases, notably in Côte d’Ivoire, for example, the debate over who is “legitimate” to include in politics and who is “illegitimate” has sparked civil wars and coups d’état. However, there is a strategic logic to political exclusion: it often tempts autocratic leaders as seemingly the “easiest” way of staying in power in the short term, even if it creates a higher risk of political violence in the long run. Nonetheless, political exclusion remains a widespread feature of most African states well into the 21st century. Until African politics become more inclusive, it is likely that the volatility associated with exclusionary politics will persist even if democratic institutions become stronger over time.

Type: Book chapter
Title: Political exclusion in Africa
ISBN: 0190632348
ISBN-13: 9780190632342
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.1326
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013...
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Political exclusion, African politics, political violence, democracy, civil wars, coups d’état, ethnic exclusion, elections, women in politics, candidates, election rigging
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of Arts and Humanities
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of Arts and Humanities > SELCS
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10183478
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