Poor Government Performance Eroding Faith in Democracy
The findings show that fewer than half of Africans — 47 percent — consider their country a democracy, while only 38 percent are satisfied with the way democracy is working.
Nairobi, Kenya – A recent Afrobarometer report has revealed the growing disconnect between public support for democracy and the actual performance of governments across Africa. The survey, which polled over 50,000 citizens in 38 countries, found that only 36 percent of respondents have a strong desire for democracy. This decline in demand for democracy is closely tied to the perception that governments are not functioning effectively.
Just 47 percent of Africans view their country as a functioning democracy, while 38 percent are satisfied with how democracy operates.
The research suggests that the narrowing gap between the desire for democracy and its actual performance is not due to improved governance. Instead, citizens are becoming less demanding of democracy and more open to considering non-democratic alternatives. In 29 countries, full demand for democracy has decreased by an average of 10 percentage points over the past decade.
Afrobarometer emphasizes that restoring public confidence in democracy will necessitate governments addressing concerns about political performance and accountability.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
