The Liberal Model and Africa: Elites Against Democracy

This book critically examines the realities of liberal democracy for contemporary Africa. Paying special attention to its elitism and non-accountability, its inequalities and injustices, Good interrogates the liberal legacy in the US, Botswana, and South Africa. Participatory systems and movements, whether in classical Athens or South Africa 1970-90, are more effective in satisfying democratic aspirations and in curtailing ambitious elites than what passes now as "'democracy." The need for a clear evaluation of what constitutes democracy emerges as a powerful message of Good's argument.

Author Biography: Kenneth Good is Professor of Political Studies at the University of Botswana, Gaborone.