ABSTRACT
This chapter explains that for the first time in Africa's history, multi-party elections have become the only game in town. The multi-ethnic, multi-religious, low-income country Benin has held an uninterrupted series of four multi-party elections that have been accompanied by three alternations in power. Authoritarian rulers in the Middle East have held long series of elections and yet stand largely uncontested today, orchestrating games of 'competitive clientelism' through elections. For R. A. Dahl, electoral rights, institutions, and processes were only indicators of polyarchy, and this is how they have continued to be used in the literature ever since. Each election becomes a nested 'sub-game' to the overall macro-game of regime-transition. Although they appear to be simply about winning votes, they have serious implications for the costs of repression and toleration. More affluent citizens are less likely to sell their votes for a small inducement than very poor people.
