Timothy Sisk presents a new way of conceiving the transition to
democracy in South Africa. Unlike authors such as Horowitz and
Lijphart, who have sought to prescribe an ideal set of post-apartheid
political institutions, Sisk asks what kinds of institutions show
signs of actually emerging, given recent history and present
realities. He treats the problem of constructing a democratic
post-apartheid society in South Africa as part of a larger condition
common to societies deeply divided by ethnic, religious, racial, or
national discord. Though its profound cleavages of race and class make
it a "least likely" candidate for conflict resolution through
democratization, Sisk argues that the centripetal pull on moderate
politicians of all parties was greater than the seemingly natural
polarizing trend in a divided society. This centripetal pull led to
the adoption of an interim constitution in 1993 after protracted
negotiations. An American Fulbright scholar sent to South Africa after
the end of the 21-year rupture of official scholarly exchanges between
the two countries, Sisk analyzes the changes in the strategic
calculations of the white minority government, the black liberation
movement, and other parties over the course of negotiations since
1990. He concludes that intermittent upsurges of violence often
reinforced, rather than reduced, the incentives of leaders on both
sides to negotiate a settlement that would avoid mutually damaging
outcomes. Drawing on extensive interviews with political figures, as
well as other primary and secondary sources, Sisk finds reason for
hope that a democratic social contract can evolve, balancing majority
rule with minority representation and guaranteeing equal economic
opportunity and social justice. Originally published in 1994. The
Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to
again make available previously out-of-print books from the
distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions
preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting
them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the
Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich
scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by
Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
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Produktdetaljer
ISBN
9781400887392
Publisert
2017
Utgiver
Vendor
Princeton University Press
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Digital bok
Forfatter