From Protest to Parties

Reviews / Votes

This book is a major contribution. Nearly all political scientists agree that strong parties are critical to achieving and sustaining democracy, but party-building in the developing world has proven far more difficult than many scholars anticipated. From Protest to Parties offers a new - and highly compelling - theory of why strong opposition parties emerge in some contexts but not others. Based on impressive field research in Kenya, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the book shows that robust party organizations are often forged during periods of intense polarization and conflict. This book is helping to reshape scholarly debates about party formation. It should be required reading for anyone interested in parties and party organization in the developing world. * Steve Levitsky, Professor of Government, Harvard University * The intricate exploration of the origins and outcomes of political party development in From Protest to Parties shows that conflict is a double-edged sword. It can amplify popular protests and make parties stronger, thereby promoting democracy, but it can also trigger authoritarian backlash. By comparing well-chosen cases from three African countries, LeBas helps move forward our understanding of the divergent dynamics of contemporary political change. * Michael Bratton, University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and African Studies, Michigan State University * How can activists build strong opposition parties to overturn single-party rule? And how can they build such parties despite ethnic divisions and the ever-present threat of repression? She shows that the strategies of both rulers and activists, with their frequently unintended consequences, provide the main answers. Polarization and conflict, LeBas finds, can encourage democratization as much as consensus and negotiation - even as they increase the risk of a repressive backlash by rulers. This important book will interest many audiences, including scholars of social movements and "contentious politics." * Jeff Goodwin, New York University * Following giants like Jackson and Rosberg, LeBas masterfully refines our understanding of how variation - not uniformity - in authoritarian experience continues to shape democratization in sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, she captures the critical role that choices of elite actors play. The systematic juxtaposition of "Legacy and Choice" is at the heart of this splendid book. * Staffan I. Lindberg, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Gothenburg & University of Florida * Extensive interviews, sometimes under difficult circumstances, paved the way for this innovative and thought-provoking book ... [LeBas] has produced an important piece of research that will leave scholars thinking for some time to come. * Comparative Political Studies * I strongly recommend this book to students, analysts, and policy makers who are interested in contemporary African politics and processes of democratization. The central arguments are clear, original, and persuasive; the analyses encourage one to think about democratization and political parties in new ways; and I, for one, learnt a lot about the three country case studies discussed. * Gabrielle Lynch, African Affairs *