Staffan I. Lindberg is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and the Center for African Studies at University of Florida. His work on elections received the American Political Science Association's Juan Linz Award for Best Dissertation in 2004 and won the Annual Best Graduate Paper Prize of the African Studies Association in 2003.

For the foreseeable future, this book will be the essential reference on African multiparty elections. Foreign Affairs A good and timely book on a very important topic... His prose highlights his expertise in Africa, the comparative literature on democratization, democratization in Africa, and methodology. Taiwan Journal of Democracy 2006 An important contribution to the study of African politics and democratization in general... Highly recommended. Choice 2007 A rigorous investigation... This book makes a notable contribution to the study of electoral politics, democratisation theory and the study of African politics. -- Peter Burnell Political Studies Review 2007 Lindberg contributes a serious study that has significant heuristic value and will encourage a testing and retesting of its hypotheses and theoretical premises. -- John R. Heilbrunn Comparative Political Studies 2007 This book is an original, important, and in many ways impressive study that will make a contribution to both electoral and Africanist scholarship. -- James R. Scarritt Perspectives on Politics 2007 This book is a path-breaking and much-needed study of the role of elections in Africa. -- Nic Cheeseman Africa 2007 Lindberg has done a good job. Written with serious academic and methodological rigor, this book contributes to the discourse on comparative democratization in Africa. -- Arthur Abraham International Journal of African Historical Studies 2007 Contains significant levels of data and analysis and will be a useful text for students and practitioners alike. -- Heather Deegan Democratization 2007 Essential reading for all people interested in elections and democracy in Africa. -- Gero Erdmann African History 2008 Draws far-reaching and well-based conclusions about the 'power of elections.' -- Gero Erdmann Development and Cooperation 2008 Without doubt, this study provides a strong stimulus for future research, and this is precisely what excellent scientific work is meant to be. -- Matthias Basedau Modern African Studies 2008

• List of Tables and FiguresPreface1. IntroductionThe Role of ElectionsWhy Africa?On RegimesOn Elections and DemocracyPreindependence and Postindependence Elections in African NationsContemporary Africa's Track RecordOutline of the Book2. On Democracy and ElectionsMaking a Conceptual ChoiceDefining DemocracyOperationalizing Democratic Qualities of ElectionsData Collection and Processing3. Elections in Africa over TimeFrequency and Number of ElectionsThe Democratic Qualities, on AverageDemocratic Qualities of Elections over Time Conclusions4. The Self-Reinforcing Power of ElectionsGoing from Bad to WorseFirst, Second, Third, Fourth, and Later ElectionsA Panel-Group ComparisonConclusions5. The Causal Effects of ElectionsDemocratic Qualities in SocietyA Missing Factor of DemocratizationHypotheses and Causal Links6. Democratization by Elections?Elections Are Associated with Civil LibertiesAnalyzing by CountriesConclusions7. Comparative Perspectives and ReflectionsThe Transition ParadigmCorruption and DemocratizationStateness and Social CitizenshipLessons on ConsolidationPolicy ImplicationsThe Power of Elections in Unfavorable ConditionsAppendix 1: Overview of Elections in Africa, by YearAppendix 2: Changes in Civil Liberties RankingsAppendix 3: About the Freedom House Civil Liberties IndexAppendix 4: A Data Set on Elections in AfricaNotesReferencesIndex

Staffan I. Lindberg is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and the Center for African Studies at University of Florida. His work on elections received the American Political Science Association's Juan Linz Award for Best Dissertation in 2004 and won the Annual Best Graduate Paper Prize of the African Studies Association in 2003.

For the foreseeable future, this book will be the essential reference on African multiparty elections. Foreign Affairs A good and timely book on a very important topic... His prose highlights his expertise in Africa, the comparative literature on democratization, democratization in Africa, and methodology. Taiwan Journal of Democracy 2006 An important contribution to the study of African politics and democratization in general... Highly recommended. Choice 2007 A rigorous investigation... This book makes a notable contribution to the study of electoral politics, democratisation theory and the study of African politics. -- Peter Burnell Political Studies Review 2007 Lindberg contributes a serious study that has significant heuristic value and will encourage a testing and retesting of its hypotheses and theoretical premises. -- John R. Heilbrunn Comparative Political Studies 2007 This book is an original, important, and in many ways impressive study that will make a contribution to both electoral and Africanist scholarship. -- James R. Scarritt Perspectives on Politics 2007 This book is a path-breaking and much-needed study of the role of elections in Africa. -- Nic Cheeseman Africa 2007 Lindberg has done a good job. Written with serious academic and methodological rigor, this book contributes to the discourse on comparative democratization in Africa. -- Arthur Abraham International Journal of African Historical Studies 2007 Contains significant levels of data and analysis and will be a useful text for students and practitioners alike. -- Heather Deegan Democratization 2007 Essential reading for all people interested in elections and democracy in Africa. -- Gero Erdmann African History 2008 Draws far-reaching and well-based conclusions about the 'power of elections.' -- Gero Erdmann Development and Cooperation 2008 Without doubt, this study provides a strong stimulus for future research, and this is precisely what excellent scientific work is meant to be. -- Matthias Basedau Modern African Studies 2008

• List of Tables and FiguresPreface1. IntroductionThe Role of ElectionsWhy Africa?On RegimesOn Elections and DemocracyPreindependence and Postindependence Elections in African NationsContemporary Africa's Track RecordOutline of the Book2. On Democracy and ElectionsMaking a Conceptual ChoiceDefining DemocracyOperationalizing Democratic Qualities of ElectionsData Collection and Processing3. Elections in Africa over TimeFrequency and Number of ElectionsThe Democratic Qualities, on AverageDemocratic Qualities of Elections over Time Conclusions4. The Self-Reinforcing Power of ElectionsGoing from Bad to WorseFirst, Second, Third, Fourth, and Later ElectionsA Panel-Group ComparisonConclusions5. The Causal Effects of ElectionsDemocratic Qualities in SocietyA Missing Factor of DemocratizationHypotheses and Causal Links6. Democratization by Elections?Elections Are Associated with Civil LibertiesAnalyzing by CountriesConclusions7. Comparative Perspectives and ReflectionsThe Transition ParadigmCorruption and DemocratizationStateness and Social CitizenshipLessons on ConsolidationPolicy ImplicationsThe Power of Elections in Unfavorable ConditionsAppendix 1: Overview of Elections in Africa, by YearAppendix 2: Changes in Civil Liberties RankingsAppendix 3: About the Freedom House Civil Liberties IndexAppendix 4: A Data Set on Elections in AfricaNotesReferencesIndex

Staffan I. Lindberg is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and the Center for African Studies at University of Florida. His work on elections received the American Political Science Association's Juan Linz Award for Best Dissertation in 2004 and won the Annual Best Graduate Paper Prize of the African Studies Association in 2003.

For the foreseeable future, this book will be the essential reference on African multiparty elections. Foreign Affairs A good and timely book on a very important topic... His prose highlights his expertise in Africa, the comparative literature on democratization, democratization in Africa, and methodology. Taiwan Journal of Democracy 2006 An important contribution to the study of African politics and democratization in general... Highly recommended. Choice 2007 A rigorous investigation... This book makes a notable contribution to the study of electoral politics, democratisation theory and the study of African politics. -- Peter Burnell Political Studies Review 2007 Lindberg contributes a serious study that has significant heuristic value and will encourage a testing and retesting of its hypotheses and theoretical premises. -- John R. Heilbrunn Comparative Political Studies 2007 This book is an original, important, and in many ways impressive study that will make a contribution to both electoral and Africanist scholarship. -- James R. Scarritt Perspectives on Politics 2007 This book is a path-breaking and much-needed study of the role of elections in Africa. -- Nic Cheeseman Africa 2007 Lindberg has done a good job. Written with serious academic and methodological rigor, this book contributes to the discourse on comparative democratization in Africa. -- Arthur Abraham International Journal of African Historical Studies 2007 Contains significant levels of data and analysis and will be a useful text for students and practitioners alike. -- Heather Deegan Democratization 2007 Essential reading for all people interested in elections and democracy in Africa. -- Gero Erdmann African History 2008 Draws far-reaching and well-based conclusions about the 'power of elections.' -- Gero Erdmann Development and Cooperation 2008 Without doubt, this study provides a strong stimulus for future research, and this is precisely what excellent scientific work is meant to be. -- Matthias Basedau Modern African Studies 2008

• List of Tables and FiguresPreface1. IntroductionThe Role of ElectionsWhy Africa?On RegimesOn Elections and DemocracyPreindependence and Postindependence Elections in African NationsContemporary Africa's Track RecordOutline of the Book2. On Democracy and ElectionsMaking a Conceptual ChoiceDefining DemocracyOperationalizing Democratic Qualities of ElectionsData Collection and Processing3. Elections in Africa over TimeFrequency and Number of ElectionsThe Democratic Qualities, on AverageDemocratic Qualities of Elections over Time Conclusions4. The Self-Reinforcing Power of ElectionsGoing from Bad to WorseFirst, Second, Third, Fourth, and Later ElectionsA Panel-Group ComparisonConclusions5. The Causal Effects of ElectionsDemocratic Qualities in SocietyA Missing Factor of DemocratizationHypotheses and Causal Links6. Democratization by Elections?Elections Are Associated with Civil LibertiesAnalyzing by CountriesConclusions7. Comparative Perspectives and ReflectionsThe Transition ParadigmCorruption and DemocratizationStateness and Social CitizenshipLessons on ConsolidationPolicy ImplicationsThe Power of Elections in Unfavorable ConditionsAppendix 1: Overview of Elections in Africa, by YearAppendix 2: Changes in Civil Liberties RankingsAppendix 3: About the Freedom House Civil Liberties IndexAppendix 4: A Data Set on Elections in AfricaNotesReferencesIndex