Illiberal democracy in África: the post-colonial democratic experience of Guinea-Bissau

Abstract

The crisis of liberal democracy has raised a number of discussions over the years all over the world, and Africa is no exception. However, in the African debate, what has persisted among academics and intellectuals, especially sociologists and political scientists, are the socio-historical, political and economic conditions that made democratic liberalism possible on the continent. In addition, the conceptual approaches (instrumentalist, behaviorist and institutional) of liberal democracy would explain the democratization process on the continent. Based on bibliographical research with a qualitative approach, the work addresses the transition to democracy in Guinea-Bissau and the contemporary challenges of liberal democracy on the continent, using as a body of work the writings of African and non-African thinkers who write about African politics in the post-independence period, including: Issa G. Shivji, Patrick Chabal and Robert Fatton Jr.