Author: Michael Bratton | Journal of Democracy

Articles by Michael Bratton:

April 1992, Volume 3, Issue 2

Zambia Starts Over

Michael Bratton

July 1998, Volume 9, Issue 3

The early 1990s saw a wave of competitive multiparty elections in Africa. These contests can be described as "founding" elections in the sense that they marked for various countries a transition from an extended period of authoritarian rule to fledgling democratic government. By the middle of the 1990s, this wave had crested. Although founding elections…

January 2001, Volume 12, Issue 1

How People View Democracy: Africans’ Surprising Universalism

Although Africa is a latecomer to democratization, Africans overwhelmingly support democracy, and their conception of democracy is surprisingly liberal.

October 2004, Volume 15, Issue 4

The “Alteration Effect” in Africa

Michael Bratton

Surveys show that Africans’ commitment to democracy fades over time, but also that their support can be refreshed by alternations in power via elections.

July 2007, Volume 18, Issue 3

The Democracy Barometers (Part I): Formal versus Informal Institutions in Africa

Michael Bratton

Survey data indicate that Africans support democracy and its formal institutions, but also point to the importance of the informal realm, particularly when formal institutions fail to meet popular expectations.

April 2008, Volume 19, Issue 2

Public Opinion and Democratic Legitimacy

Do young democracies have to "deliver the goods" economically in order to win political legitimacy in their citizens' eyes? Public opinion data from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Arab world suggest some fascinating answers.

October 2008, Volume 19, Issue 4

Zimbabwe’s Long Agony

Once hailed as liberators, Zimbabwe’s ruling party now clings to power through violent repression. How did the country’s founding father become its dictator, and what patterns in his party’s past foretold such an outcome?

October 2010, Volume 21, Issue 4

The Meanings of Democracy: Anchoring the “D-Word” in Africa

Michael Bratton

Efforts to do comparative research on political attitudes have been complicated by varying understandings of “democracy.” The Afrobarometer is exploring new techniques to overcome this difficulty.

Books:

How People View Democracy

No serious student of democracy can afford to be without this book. It offers an original and comprehensive view of what citizens around the world think as democracy's global "third wave" prepares to enter its fourth and perhaps most challenging decade.

Democratization in Africa: Progress and Retreat

At a time when democracy seems to be in retreat in many parts of the world, Africa presents a more mixed picture. Democratization in Africa: Progress and Retreat brings into focus the complex landscape of African politics by pairing broad analytical surveys with country-specific case studies.