Personalist Rule in Africa and Other World Regions

This book presents an innovative model linking democratization, development, and conflict studies to explain personalist behavior and their violent transitions. By integrating decades of specialist literature from various subfields of political science, the book models personalist behavior, its impact on the states they govern, and their future transitions. It identifies the mechanics of how personalist regimes establish vicious circles of personalism and explains how they end up again in authoritarianism or in new personalist tyrannies after their demise.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 324 pages
Publication date: 31 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This groundbreaking book offers a novel model that seamlessly connects insights from democratization, development, and conflict studies to unravel the enigmatic nature of personalist behavior and their violent transitions. Drawing upon extensive case studies from Sub Saharan Africa, the author meticulously maps and forecasts regime transitions, providing valuable examples of how states can break free from the vicious cycles of conflict and tyranny. By integrating decades of specialized literature from diverse subfields of political science, the book models personalist behavior, its profound impact on the states they govern, and their potential future trajectories. By systematizing regime behavior, including coup-proofing, gatekeeping, repression, and hoarding, the model unveils the mechanisms that underpin personalist regimes' establishment of vicious circles of personalism and elucidates how these regimes ultimately revert to authoritarianism or emerge as new personalist tyrannies after their demise, rarely making the transition to democracy.

This book holds immense relevance for scholars and students engaged in the study of African politics, democratization, democratic consolidation, authoritarian rule, and political science in general. It also appeals to a wide range of disciplines, including comparative politics, area studies, political leadership, peace and conflict studies, and development studies. By shedding light on the complex dynamics of personalist behavior and their profound consequences, this book contributes to our understanding of political dynamics and offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities facing societies in transition.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367510992