Abstract

In the context of the global recession of democracy, this article engages with sub-Saharan Africa’s so-called ‘democratic’ deficit. Three arguments are presented. First, sub-Saharan Africa’s challenge is less a democratic deficit than it is a liberal deficit. The political elite are content to use the electoral mechanism to gain access to power but are thereafter resistant to restraints on that power. Second, organised civil society can contribute to addressing this deficit by contending for civil liberties and holding political authority accountable. Third, sub-Saharan Africa’s deeply religious society can contribute towards the development of such a civil society. The study engages with secondary data analysis using survey data from Afrobarometer to determine sub-Saharan Africa’s ‘deficit’ and whether religion can contribute to the development of civil society in the region. From the survey data it was found that citizens of sub-Saharan African countries understand democracy in its liberal form – ensuring civil liberties and personal freedoms. Furthermore, it was noted that those who are religious are more likely to be civically engaged than those who are unaffiliated, and in time, this can contribute to addressing the liberal deficit.

摘要

在全球民主衰退的背景下，本文涉及撒哈拉以南非洲所谓的“民主”赤字。提出了三个论点。首先，撒哈拉以南非洲面临的挑战与其说是民主赤字，不如说是自由赤字。政治精英满足于使用选举机制来获得权力，但随后抵制对权力的限制。其次，有组织的公民社会可以通过争取公民自由和追究政治权威来解决这一赤字问题。第三，撒哈拉以南非洲宗教信仰深厚的社会可以为这样一个公民社会的发展做出贡献。该研究使用来自非洲晴雨表的调查数据进行二次数据分析，以确定撒哈拉以南非洲的“赤字”以及宗教是否可以促进该地区公民社会的发展。从调查数据中发现，撒哈拉以南非洲国家的公民以自由形式理解民主——确保公民自由和个人自由。此外，有人指出，有宗教信仰的人比无宗教信仰的人更有可能参与公民活动，并且随着时间的推移，这有助于解决自由主义赤字问题。