HSY3701 ASSIGNMENT 3 2026
DUE MAY 2026
ALL TOPICS WRITTEN
Essay:
The Transition from Multiparty Systems to Authoritarianism in Africa until the
1970s
After independence, many African countries started with multiparty democratic systems
based on the models of their former colonial rulers. But by the late 1970s, most of these
countries had changed to authoritarian forms of government. This shift happened for
several connected reasons, including the effects of colonial rule, weak economies,
divisions between social and ethnic groups, military takeovers, and systems based on
favouritism and personal power. The colonial legacy played a big role because many
countries inherited political systems that were not designed for unity or stability. Their
economies were also fragile, making it difficult for governments to meet people’s needs.
At the same time, differences between ethnic and social groups often caused tension
and conflict. In some cases, the military stepped in and took control, weakening
democratic systems even further. Leaders also began to rely on patronage, rewarding
supporters with jobs or resources, which strengthened their personal control over the
state. In this context, one-party rule means that only one political party controls the
government, and opposition parties have little or no real power. A dictatorship is when
one person or a small group holds all power without being checked by democratic
systems. A civil war is a violent conflict between groups within the same country, often
caused by deep political, ethnic, or regional differences.
, The root of authoritarianism in post-independence Africa lies partly in the colonial legacy
itself. European colonial administrations had been fundamentally authoritarian. They
governed through centralized bureaucracies and district officers, not through democratic
participation (Manson, 2010, p. 103). Africans were subjects, not citizens. At
independence, the newly installed African governments inherited this top-heavy,
centralized state structure, but not a strong democratic political culture. The institutions
of democracy parliaments, independent courts, free press had been introduced only
hastily in the final years of colonial rule, with little time to take root in society (Shipway,
2008). Besides, the colonial powers had drawn artificial boundaries that forced together
diverse ethnic groups, many of which had pre-colonial histories of rivalry or had been
unequally treated by the colonisers (Nugent, 2004). This created fragile nations where
political competition easily became ethnic competition. The initial multiparty
constitutions were thus superimposed on societies with weak national unity and little
experience of democratic conflict resolution.
Closely linked to the colonial inheritance was the problem of economic
underdevelopment. At independence, most African economies depended on the export
of a few raw materials, making them vulnerable to fluctuating world prices (Manson,
2010, p. 102). There was little local industry, and the private business sector was often
dominated by foreign companies or minority communities (Arnold, 2005). In this
situation, the state became the main source of wealth and opportunity: it offered jobs in
the civil service, access to contracts, and control over import licences. Political power
was therefore not just about governing; it was the primary path to economic security
(Manson, 2010, p. 102). Consequently, competition for control of the state became
intense and high-stakes. When the party or ethnic group in power began to use state
resources to reward its own supporters, the “outsiders” mobilised to challenge them.
The resulting political instability then gave ruling elites a justification to curtail
democratic freedoms in the name of national order. By the late 1960s, many leaders
DUE MAY 2026
ALL TOPICS WRITTEN
Essay:
The Transition from Multiparty Systems to Authoritarianism in Africa until the
1970s
After independence, many African countries started with multiparty democratic systems
based on the models of their former colonial rulers. But by the late 1970s, most of these
countries had changed to authoritarian forms of government. This shift happened for
several connected reasons, including the effects of colonial rule, weak economies,
divisions between social and ethnic groups, military takeovers, and systems based on
favouritism and personal power. The colonial legacy played a big role because many
countries inherited political systems that were not designed for unity or stability. Their
economies were also fragile, making it difficult for governments to meet people’s needs.
At the same time, differences between ethnic and social groups often caused tension
and conflict. In some cases, the military stepped in and took control, weakening
democratic systems even further. Leaders also began to rely on patronage, rewarding
supporters with jobs or resources, which strengthened their personal control over the
state. In this context, one-party rule means that only one political party controls the
government, and opposition parties have little or no real power. A dictatorship is when
one person or a small group holds all power without being checked by democratic
systems. A civil war is a violent conflict between groups within the same country, often
caused by deep political, ethnic, or regional differences.
, The root of authoritarianism in post-independence Africa lies partly in the colonial legacy
itself. European colonial administrations had been fundamentally authoritarian. They
governed through centralized bureaucracies and district officers, not through democratic
participation (Manson, 2010, p. 103). Africans were subjects, not citizens. At
independence, the newly installed African governments inherited this top-heavy,
centralized state structure, but not a strong democratic political culture. The institutions
of democracy parliaments, independent courts, free press had been introduced only
hastily in the final years of colonial rule, with little time to take root in society (Shipway,
2008). Besides, the colonial powers had drawn artificial boundaries that forced together
diverse ethnic groups, many of which had pre-colonial histories of rivalry or had been
unequally treated by the colonisers (Nugent, 2004). This created fragile nations where
political competition easily became ethnic competition. The initial multiparty
constitutions were thus superimposed on societies with weak national unity and little
experience of democratic conflict resolution.
Closely linked to the colonial inheritance was the problem of economic
underdevelopment. At independence, most African economies depended on the export
of a few raw materials, making them vulnerable to fluctuating world prices (Manson,
2010, p. 102). There was little local industry, and the private business sector was often
dominated by foreign companies or minority communities (Arnold, 2005). In this
situation, the state became the main source of wealth and opportunity: it offered jobs in
the civil service, access to contracts, and control over import licences. Political power
was therefore not just about governing; it was the primary path to economic security
(Manson, 2010, p. 102). Consequently, competition for control of the state became
intense and high-stakes. When the party or ethnic group in power began to use state
resources to reward its own supporters, the “outsiders” mobilised to challenge them.
The resulting political instability then gave ruling elites a justification to curtail
democratic freedoms in the name of national order. By the late 1960s, many leaders
