The Politics Of Economic Restructuring And Democracy In Africa

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In a bold attempt to develop an innovative theory of political change arising from dual economic and political transformations, Iheduru maintains that economic structural adjustment policies have unintended political consequences, leading to democratic liberalization in post-colonial African states.

Using classical, dependency, and neoliberal approaches as a backdrop, he demonstrates that structural adjustment policies shaped by conditionality measures foster the operation of free-enterprise market forces. As a social consequence of the reform effort, winners and losers organize to protect their interests, first in the economy and later in the political arena.

Thus the structural reorientation of African economies leads not only to the ascendancy of the market and economic growth but also to the political opening of the African state, thereby facilitating the participation of excluded groups. In conclusion, Iheduru predicts that structural adjustment is the best policy alternative for initiating and sustaining meaningful economic changes in Africa.

Moreover, he claims, it may be a deciding factor in the possible democratizing of the African continent, which would provide an auspicious atmosphere for a properly functioning market economy. Review: This monograph provides a timely, original perspective on the impacts of economic reforms in African state roles and capabilities suggesting enhanced prospects for democracy, especially civil society, once the state is redefined and restructured.

It constitutes a welcome contribution to African and Development Studies and to comparative and and global Political Economy at the dawn of the new millennium. -Timothy M. Shaw Professor of Political Science and International Development Studies Dalhousie University-Nova Scotia