ABSTRACT
This chapter examines Africa's continued struggle to democratize its political systems and seek to show that bureaucratic corruption, which has become endemic to many post-independence societies in Africa, is a significant constraint to the successful reconstruction of the neo-colonial state to provide Africans with appropriate structures for peaceful coexistence and sustainable development. It argues that post-independence opportunism, especially bureaucratic corruption, has allowed certain individuals and groups to amass wealth for themselves. The chapter emphasized the importance of rules selection to the transition, it must be noted that a constitution, even if it is efficient and viable, cannot solve all of society's problems; nor can it stop bad government or political instability and violence. The impetus to Africa's renewed interest in institutional reform has been provided by both internal and external sources. After the Soviet Union collapsed and superpower rivalry ceased, Africa lost most of its strategic importance to the West and the former Soviet political bloc.
