Electoral Commissions and Democratization in Africa: Everyday Production of Democratic Legitimacy

The Moynihan Institute’s Study of Global Politics series presents a book talk with author and Associate Professor of Political Science Nicholas Kerr from the University of Florida

Book Abstract:

This book explains why electoral commissions (ECs) have improved election quality and legitimacy in some African countries but not in others. Kerr argues that ECs provide valuable information that helps politicians and citizens resolve uncertainties about electoral fraud and administrative irregularities. Whereas previous research focuses on the institutional design of ECs, this book privileges their actual performance, emphasizing two attributes: autonomy and capacity. By serving an informational role, the autonomy and capacity of ECs influence how citizens and elites think about and behave during elections. This includes whether political elites and citizens participate in elections, engage in electoral fraud and violence, accept electoral outcomes, and express confidence in elections. These attitudes and behaviors, in turn, influence whether elections meet democratic standards (election quality) and whether political elites and citizens regard election processes as acceptable (election legitimacy). This book brings together evidence from public opinion surveys, elite surveys, field research, and cross-national databases to give an unusually rich empirical exploration of the dynamics of elections and democracy in sub-Saharan Africa since the 1990s, including a focused case study of Nigeria.