Centerperiphery relations and political development in african states bruce j. African countries need economic transformation, to sustain propoor growth, to cope with population increases, to become competitive in the global economy and last but not least to create the conditions for better governance. Varieties of clientelism 3 often involves a broader set of strategies than just elite payoffs to citizens before elections. Survey evidence from ghana abstract this article explores voting behavior in one of africa s new democracies. World politics 55 april 2003, 399422 clientelism and voting behavior evidence from a field experiment in benin by leonard wantchekon i. Clientelism is a method that is most common in new democracies where there is a lack of infrastructure, state institutions are weak and where the citizens are not well off. Using this distinction, he describes three forms of clientelism. The following essay is an in depth analysis of clientelism and corruption problems in africa, aiming to demonstrate why these problems remain inherent elements of political. Political clientelism and the independence of political office holders auyero 2000, in attempting to differentiate between political finance and moneybags in nigerian politics asserted that financiers are different from moneybags, who are overtly political. The experiment empirically validates the view that electoral politics in benin is dominated by clientelism.
Credibility, clientelism and ethnicity in african politics. This study largely follows an emerging consensus 8 to define political clientelism and clientelistic politics as the practice of exchanging a targeted, nonpolicybased provision of money and state resources jobs, public services, government contracts, etc. In the latter half of the article, the discussion tries to determine if clients are swing voters or core supporters, and looks at the causes and consequences of clientelism. African rulers, whether selfappointed or democratically. Political clientelism and democracy article pdf available in acta sociologica 573. Pdf electoral clientelism as status affirmation in. Clientelism, patrimonialism and democratic governance.
Although many case studies of african politics are written as if their conclusions automatically apply to all or most african states and some like callaghys remarkable analysis 1985 of zaire, are clearly intended to do so, there are still relatively few general works on african politics. The african political instability and other related problems is basically a consequence of its leadership problem. Vlaicu 2008 argue that clientelism where political. In some african countries such as equatorial guinea such networks are comprised of family members while in the vast majority of other african countries stricken by clientelism it is ethnic kin running affairs of state, cynically promoting vexing propaganda. African politics is quite commonly characterized as clientelistic.
Successes, failures and the struggle for political reform, cambridge university press, 2015. Comparative politics scholars have long considered electoral politics in africa to be systematically and inherently clientelist. Making oil work in angola, nigeria and the gulf of guinea hurst, london, 2016. Ibo politics in microcosm, the journal of modern african studies, 7 1969, 475. Clientelism is common in developing countries, and often detrimentally affects political accountability and public good provision. It argues that clientelism is a ubiquitous feature of modern politics and is unlikely to disappear soon, but it shows that the nature of clientelism varies. The last stems largely from the partys electoral strategy in its formative years, and has resulted in uncontrolled factional battles that play out through clientelism. Competitive clientelism and the politics of core public. Initial hopes that democratization would improve prospects for development in africa have been undermined by the sense that the adoption of democratic procedures may have actually deepened the clientelist forms of politics that are often blamed for underdevelopment on the continent. The two waves of studies of clientelism and the link between clientelism.
Patronage, clientelism and economic insecurity in uganda. On the wider african scene too, as thomson observes, clientelism has permeated african societies from top to bottom. In the first section, the term clientelism can be defined as giving material goods in return for electoral support, where the criterion of distribution that the patron uses is simply. Since then the term has commonly been used in scholarly literature and textbooks. Pdf political clientelism and democracy researchgate. Mar 19, 2017 great summary of auyeros analysis of political clientelism. This is because they may limit the provision of public goods. Observers of african politics note a similar dynamic. The democratization of political clientelism in sub. It places political clientelism in the theoretical framework of a. Introduction comparative politics scholars have long considered electoral politics in africa to be systematically and inherently clientelist.
Rethinking deification, gerontocracy and clientelism in nigerian political space. The characteristic form of this kind of clientelism is prebendalism, or the strategic political allocation. Focusing on clientelism as a method of electoral mobilization, i define it p. The democratization of political clientelism in subsaharan. There is a need, it concludes, to find ways to shift african politics towards issues of social justice and government performance and away from a concern with a division of the states resources.
At domestic level, african governments are run in ways that have been regarded as far from the modern western state systems,osei tutu, 2004 upon which they are modelled. First, in clientelist countries, the credibility of political promises depends on a history of personal exchange and interaction between the promisor and the promisee. Second, what can be called elite clientelism is limited to a narrow political elite. Electoral politics in africa is widely regarded as clientelistic and politi. Neopatrimonialism mario einaudi center cornell university. Tim kelsall, business, politics and the state in africa. View political clientelism research papers on academia. The concept of clientelism suffers more than most from a lack of consensus about its meaning. Clientelism, relationship between individuals with unequal economic and social status the boss and his clients that entails the reciprocal exchange of goods and services based on a personal link that is generally perceived in terms of moral obligation. First, the following essay presents a short overview of the corruption problem on the african continent. This afrobarometer working paper argues that clientelism is not a major factor in voting decisions. Arriola patronage and political stability in africa 43 state capacity is the mechanism by which an economic variable such as per capita gross domestic product gdp affects the likelihood of conflict.
Political instability in africa where the problem lies and. Not just growth at first glance, africa appears to be on the right track. Our conceptualization of redistributive politics is close to what is known as patronage or, more broadly, clientelism in anthropology and political science. However, little is known about how clientelistic equilibria break down, particularly because reforms that could reduce voter dependence on incumbents for special favors may also cause voters to reward the. Competitive clientelism and the politics of core public sector reform in ghana fieldnotes taken from workshops and forums organised by the internal audit agency, public sector reform secretariat, and the office of the head of civil service.
Jan 18, 2019 the case of rwanda, african affairs 111, 444 2012, pp. The case of rwanda, african affairs 111, 444 2012, pp. Aug 03, 2019 in some african countries such as equatorial guinea such networks are comprised of family members while in the vast majority of other african countries stricken by clientelism it is ethnic kin running affairs of state, cynically promoting vexing propaganda of patriotism, national unity and integration. This section includes definitions of vote buying and patronage. The political economy of clientelism harvard university.
Joseph, director of the program of african studies at northwestern university, is usually credited with first using the term to describe patronclientelism or neopatrimonialism in nigeria. This clientelism is an exchange between actors who have. Clientelism and patronage in senegal african studies. Clientelism and voting behavior princeton university. The exchange of goods and services for political support. The term refers to an evolving institution of individuals in the political plane whose influences through force, money and. However, there are exceptions, both at the macro level and within particular. The results from wantchekon 2003 suggest that increased access to information and political participation by women may. Such noninstitutionalized forms of clientelism are obviously relevant to our discussion. Areas covered range from political system types, political economies, and political cultures of diverse. Clientelism is also known as patronclient relations politics, and in its modern form is highly evident in african society.
Electoral clientelism as status affirmation in africa. As we discussed in class, it seems that clientelism emerges when governmental institutions are too weak or illfunded to work comprehensively and therefore the discretion of party brokers can be used to gain public support. Pdf the article proposes a systemstheoretical approach to political clientelism. The results further develop and expand the conventional wisdom in african politics by establishing that 1 clientelist appeals reenforce ethnic voting not the way round. The relationship between the traditional, village level clientelism and the post colonial political clientelism of the modern african state is admittedly complex. Clientelism, tribalism, and ethnic conflict in africa free. Pdf introduction to african politics herman patrick. Comparative political studies volume 42 number 10 2009 sage. Cotedivoire pages 114120 to what extent did clientelism legitimate personal rule in postcolonial africa. Clientelism and the credibility of political promises three characteristics of clientelism emerge regularly in the case study literature. Comparative political studies volume 42 number 10 2009. Why is clientelism such a prominent source politics essay. Mar 14, 2015 in 2011, transparency international has still listed all african states but botswana as highly corrupted states appendix 2.
Clientelism and vote buying seem to be effective and to enjoy widespread electoral support. It refers, in particular, to the relationship between patrimonialism, clientelism, corruption, and power. Clientelism involves an asymmetric relationship between groups of political actors described as patrons, brokers, and clients although many definitions for clientelism have been proposed, according to the political scientist allen hicken, it is generally thought that. Clientelism to determine from what circumstances clientelism in african emanated it is important to define the term itself and what it means in african society. Alex thomas, an introduction to african politics, chapter 6, case study. Rethinking deification, gerontocracy and clientelism in. The precolonial african culture of the muslim brotherhoods foltz, 1977 and the rather liberal electoral patterns established by french colonialism in the eighteenth century johnson, 1971 imparted to senegal patronclient relationships which have permeated its politics since independence schumacher, 1975.
Evidence from ghana article pdf available in the journal of modern african studies 554 november 2017 with 155 reads how we measure reads. The two waves of studies of clientelism and the link between clientelism and commitment are discussed in the subsequent sections. Pdf electoral clientelism as status affirmation in africa. Recognizing that much of the literature assumes african political behavior to be subsumed in ethnic ties and clientelism, we ask.
The democratization of political clientelism in subsaharan africa. Clientelism, relationship between individuals with unequal economic and social status the boss and his clients that entails the reciprocal exchange of goods and services based on a personal link that is generally perceived in terms of moral obligation defined in this way, clientelism is a phenomenon that has occurred in many different social contexts, be it between patricians. A joint statement from five research programmes on behalf of africa power and politics programme. Clientelism involves an asymmetric relationship between groups of political actors described as patrons, brokers, and clients. In the african modal pattern, clientelism is competitive in ways that undermine possibilities for transformation. Clientelism is the exchange of goods and services for political support, often involving an implicit or explicit quidproquo.
These comparative statics help us to understand why it is that developing countries politics, particularly in africa, seem to be particularly clientelistic as argued by many scholars, e. The government of a poor country, which is often assumed to be corrupt or. It is not just a case of presidential monarchs exchanging patronage for support among their immediate lieutenants within the heart of the state. Although many case studies of african politics are written as if their conclusions automatically apply to all or most african states and some like callaghys remarkable analysis 1985 of zaire, are clearly intended to do so, there are still relatively few general works on. Challenging the orthodoxies on growth and transformation zed books, london, 20.
The following essay is an indepth analysis of clientelism and corruption problems in africa, aiming to demonstrate why these problems remain inherent elements of political. Instead, voters focus on issues relating to the provision of local public goods and the frequency of an mps visits to the constituency. Clientelism is also known as patronclient relationspolitics, and in its modern form is highly evident in african society. October 29 alex thomas, an introduction to african politics, chapter 7, coercion.
In 2011, transparency international has still listed all african states but botswana as highly corrupted states appendix 2. Presentday clientelism thus tends to flourish in insecure political and economic environments, both rural and urban, and is integral to the politics of survival for both patrons and clients migdal 1988. An introduction to african politics, this course will provide for its participants a general survey of the main issues regarding politics in the continent. This reflects the particular forms which clientelism has taken on the continent. Clientelism, credibility and democracy institutions, ideology and ethnic polarization, climate, and colonial legacies are among many explanations offered in the literature for the modest or perverse effect that the. Political clientelism and ethnicity in tropical africa. The concept of clientelism pervades the literature on african politics. A model of african political development decolonisation and clientelist politics. Berman 1 studies in comparative international development volume 9, article number. Successes, failures and the struggle for political reform. Jesse ovadia, the petrodevelopmental state in africa. Yet the relationship between vote buying and voting behavior, particularly in the context of the secret ballot, remains largely unknown.