- Title
- The paradox of Botswana's democracy: when too much democracy is not enough?
- Creator
- Lotshwao, Kebapetse
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2015
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- This thesis examines democracy assistance to Botswana. Although not a transitional democracy of the third wave, Botswana, which is actually hailed as one the African continent's rare success stories of democratic rule, good governance and development, has been a recipient of democracy assistance since at least the early 1970s. This specialized type of foreign aid, whose stated objective is couched in terms of strengthening democracy and good governance, has been directed at the electoral sphere, certain state institutions, and some civil society organizations. Given Botswana's acknowledged status as a successful democracy, the thesis seeks to understand why the country is a recipient of democracy assistance. This is what the thesis describes as the paradox of Botswana's democracy. Yet it is also evident that key structural features seem to belie its depiction as a successful democracy. Political power is very much centralized on the president, many of the country's political institutions remain weak despite the years of democracy assistance, and the extent of inequality in the country remains a serious problem. So a second paradox emerges, namely that despite decades of democracy assistance Botswana's democracy does not appear to have progressed structurally beyond what emerged at the time of independence. The thesis explores these two paradoxes from a neo-Gramscian perspective. It was found that democracy assistance seeks to consolidate procedural democracy, or polyarchy. It was also found that this assures the necessary political stability required to keep the country suitable for ongoing development of the private sector. Democratic assistance to the organizations of civil society was primarily disposed towards promoting the development of the private sector in the country. In addition to guaranteeing stability, the preoccupation with a polyarchical form of democracy performed a hegemonic function by separating economics from politics, thus legitimating the levels of inequality generated by neoliberal capitalism. On the other hand, the support for state institutions can be understood to make the state more effective, particularly with respect to performing functions required by the free market system. But the donor fixation with stability, state capacity, and development of the private sector is pursued at the expense of some genuine, and long overdue democratic and governance reforms in Botswana. After almost five decades of self-rule, Botswana still uses an illiberal constitution bequeathed by Britain at the time of independence. Its state institutions, including parliament and the judiciary are subordinate to the executive. Thus, in spite of democracy assistance, Botswana's democracy remains highly imperfect, while inequality remains somehow acceptable. The conclusion of the thesis is that the paradox of Botswana's democracy, in both the sense notes above, is only a paradox if the hegemonic nature of democracy assistance is taken at face value. This thesis probes beneath the surface to demonstrate that it undermines the very structures and institutions that it purports to be strengthening.
- Subject
- Botswana; democracy assistance; neo-Gramscianism; hegemony; polyarchy; neoliberalism; neoliberal state; political stability; civil society
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1296561
- Identifier
- uon:19273
- Rights
- Copyright 2015 Kebapetse Lotshwao
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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