Do ethnically dominated party systems affect the quality of democracy? This Afrobarometer paper measures levels of ethnic voting and tests its relationship to the quality of democracy. The evidence suggests that the extent to which party systems in sub-Saharan Africa are ethnically dominated negatively affects certain measures of the quality of democracy. Quality of democracy can be enhanced by implementing integrative electoral systems, and by promoting economic and social conditions that discourage ethnically based parties.
Ethnically dominated party systems are those in which all or most of the major political parties are ethnically based. Procedurally, quality of democracy refers to regular free and fair elections and respect for political rights and civil liberties. Substantively, it refers to the extent to which government is accountable, responsive, transparent and respectful of the rule of law.
The extent to which a party system is ethnically dominated is determined by analysing cross-national levels of ethnic voting. The study results suggest that ethnically dominated party systems negatively affect quality of democracy, both procedurally and substantively:
- Ethnically dominated party systems reduce citizens’ political rights and civil liberties. People are much less likely to believe that elections are free and more likely to report that material incentives are offered to influence voter choice.
- The extent to which a party system is ethnically dominated proves to be a remarkable explanatory variable for: low levels of satisfaction with government performance; and perceptions of corruption at local and national level.
- People are much less likely to be satisfied with the delivery of health and education services in ethnically dominated systems.
- Ethnic parties limit electoral choice. Once trapped into a system of ethnicity-based voting, it is ethnic elites who benefit and sustain a supply of ethnic politics despite demand to the contrary.
Ethno-linguistic fractionalisation – how diverse a society is – does not necessarily result in lower quality democracy. It is the politicisation of ethnic differences that impedes the development of higher quality democracy:
- Ethnic politicisation into ethnic party groups tends to occur at relatively lower levels of ethno-linguistic fractionalisation.
- Ethnically dominated party systems arguably create several one-party ethnic states within the multi-ethnic state. Individual political identity is reduced to ethnic identity as citizens delegate their vote to entrenched ethnic elites.
- Limited intra-party or inter-party political competition within ethnic blocks reduces the electoral pressure voters can exert on elites to improve performance. Appointments to official positions are often based on ethnic identity rather than merit, which can contribute to continued corruption.
- Majoritarian electoral systems in the study are associated with negative evaluations of democracy and proportional representative systems with positive ones. However, the degree of ethnic party domination is a more powerful explanatory variable.
- Lack of satisfaction with democracy in ethnically dominated systems increases the likelihood of political instability and democratic breakdown.
- Although levels of ethno-linguistic fractionalisation change slowly, ethnic voting patterns show signs of short term change over election periods.
