Africa presents a mixed picture. A number of African countries have been convulsed by high-profile crises, while others have continued making progress on difficult path toward democratic stability. Democratization in Africa: Progress and Retreat brings into focus complex landscape of African politics by pairing broad analytical surveys with country-specific case studies, most previously published in the Journal of Democracy and all written by prominent Africanists with deep knowledge of the continent and their subject countries. Thematic chapters address major forces working for and against African democracy: phenomenon of "frontier Africa"; presidentialism; rise of independent legislatures; rule of law versus the "big man"; the institutionalization of political power; decline of military coups; paradox of growth without prosperity; and roles of formal and informal institutions. Countries examined include Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This is an essential primer for students of African politics and those interested in future of democracy--Publisher's description