RECONNECT Global Webinar: “Democracy and Authoritarianism in Africa” with Nic Cheeseman

Media headlines suggest that Africa is lapsing back into authoritarianism. But a systematic evaluation of the continent reveals relatively modest levels of overall change in democratic performance in recent years, with positive developments in some countries cancelling out negative ones in others.

However, the combination of economic downturn due to COVID-19, growing debt, and a lack of international focus on protecting democracy bode ill for 2021 and future years. This is important because recent research demonstrates that on average democracies perform better not only on human rights but also in terms of economic growth, human development and corruption.

Prof. Cheeseman will draw on recent publications, his own research in Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe, and data from V-DEM, Freedom House and BTI to make this argument.

This webinar is the 3rd lecture of our RECONNECT Global Webinar Series: “Democratic and Rule of Law Backsliding. Causes, Consequences and Prospects from around the World,” which takes stock of major developments in specific countries and regions around the globe with regard to rule of law and democracy backsliding.

Take a look at the previous lectures on our website at https://reconnect-europe.eu/webinar/reconnect-global-series-backsliding-democratic-regress-in-the-contemporary-world/