Forms of State, Governance, and Regime: Reconceptualising the Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa

Abstract

Building on the growing body of literature bridging international relations and historical sociology, this article argues that "consolidologists" have something to learn from this field. The discussion's point of departure is contemporary writings on sovereignty, security, and state formation in the African context. In an effort to synthesize insights from international relations and historical sociology with neo-institutional theory, a heuristic mode that suggests an alternative conceptualisation of different forms of states, governance, and regimes is developed. I argue that this model can be used to better understand the relationship between forms of states, variations in the institutions of governance, and transitions between regimes. Taking the model to be fruitful, the article finally suggests some hypotheses regarding the prospects for consolidation of democracy that can be tested in future empirical research.

Keywords: democratization, state building, governance, regime types