Over the years, Botswana has been a recipient of democracy assistance, which is a special type of foreign aid that attempts to strengthen democracy and governance. The electoral commission and political parties are some of the recipients of this form of assistance. In the case of the electoral commission, the priority of donors has been tolenhance the commission’s ability to conduct and supervise elections. Similarly, donor assistance to political parties seeks to strengthen their ability to take part in competitive elections. However, by focusing on procedural democracy, and neglecting radical political and economic reforms, donors are not really consolidating democracy. Rather, as is argued in this paper,donor assistance consolidates polyarchy,and as such assures a form of citizen participation that sustains a stable state conducive for capitalism. In addition, by separating economics from politics, polyarchy legitimizes the status quo characterized by socio Eeconomic inequality. In this way democracy donors to Botswana help to maintain the hegemony of the elite.

Projects

Currently no objects available

Currently no objects available