Semi-Presidentialism Outside Europe A Comparative Study [Paperback]

This is the first academic study of the impact of semi-presidentialism in emerging democracies outside of Europe.

Semi-presidentialism is where there is both a directly-elected fixed-term president and a prime minister who is responsible to the legislature. For the most part, semi-presidentialism is seen as being a risky choice for new democracies because it can create potentially destabilizing competition between the president and prime minister. And yet, there are now more than fifty semi-presidential countries in the world. Moreover, many of these countries are in Africa, the former Soviet Union and Asia, often in places where democracy has yet to establish a firm foundation.

This study begins with a chapter that discusses the advantages and disadvantages of semi-presidentialism and provides the theoretical framework for a wide-ranging series of country chapters presented in the second part of the book. Written by country/area specialists, the case studies highlight the political processes at work in young semi-presidential democracies.

Semi-Presidentialism Outside Europewill appeal to those researching and studying in the fields of comparative politics, development and democracy.

1. What Is Semi-Presidentialism and Where is it Found? Robert Elgie  2. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Semi-Presidentialism: A West European Perspective Gianfranco Pasquino  3. Semi-Presidentialism in Young Democracies - Help or Hindrance? Sophia Moestrup  4. Semi-Presidentialism in a Post-Communist Context Fran?ois Frison-Roche  5. Semi-Presidentialism in a Francophone Context G?rard Conac  6. Semi-Presidentialism in Madagascar Charles Cadoux  7. Semi-Presidentialism in Niger: Gridlock and Democratic Breakdown - Learning From Past Mistakes