ABSTRACT
Roughly three dozen countries in Africa are now involved in some type of process of political liberalization. However, democratization across the continent has been problematic. African political institutions are weak, previous efforts at democratization have often failed, and there is frequently a long history of military involvement in politics. Finally, almost all African countries are extremely poor: per capita income on the continent is only $460 (1995 U.S. dollars) (World Bank 1996, p. 189), when it is now estimated that a per capita income of $6,000 is needed to ensure democratization. Indeed, recent data suggest that democracies with a per capita income of less than $1,000 will not last more than eight years (Przeworkski and Limongi 1997, p. 165). African democratization represents an unprecedented attempt by a large number of poor countries to liberalize well before they have achieved the level of institutional development and material prosperity typically associated with democracy.
