Poor Government Performance Eroding Faith in Democracy

NAIROBI, Kenya Sept 16 – Poor government performance is increasingly associated with declining public commitment to democracy across Africa, according to a new Afrobarometer report.

The survey of more than 50,000 citizens in 38 African countries found that only 36 percent express a full demand for democracy.

Afrobarometer says the decline is linked in large part to increasingly negative assessments of how governments are performing.

The findings show that fewer than half of Africans — 47 percent — consider their country a democracy, while only 38 percent are satisfied with the way democracy is working.

The research indicates that the narrowing gap between demand for democracy and its perceived supply is not primarily the result of improved democratic governance.

Instead, the gap has narrowed because citizens are becoming less demanding of democracy and more willing to consider non-democratic alternatives.

Across 29 countries surveyed consistently over the past decade, full demand for democracy has fallen by an average of 10 percentage points.

Afrobarometer says restoring public confidence will require governments to address concerns about political performance and democratic accountability.