Abstract
The elusive quest for democracy has been an enduring staple of the Liberian political economy since the establishment of the country (Liebenow, 1969, 1987; Sawyer, 1992, 2005). As Kieh (1997: 23) observes,
Since the inception of the Liberian state in the 1800s, the country has been engulfed in a crisis of democracy. This phenomenon has been characterized by political repression, and its attendant lack of respect for civil liberties and human rights and socioeconomic malaise.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agbese, Pita Ogaba (2007). “The Political Economy of the African State.” In George Klay Kieh, Jr. (ed.), Beyond State Failure and Collapse: Making the State Relevant in Africa. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, pp. 33–50.
Ake, Claude (1996). Democracy and Development. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution Press.
allAfrica. 2013. “Liberia: U.S. Human Rights Report Decries Corruption, Lack of Transparency.” April 22, p. 1.
Beyan, Amos (1991). The American Colonization Society and the Creation of the Liberian State. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
Binda, Stephen (2010). “NEC Boss Wants Residency Clause Kicked Out of Constitution.” Daily Observer, October 27.
Boweh, Bruce (2008). “No Municipal Elections: Supreme Court Recognizes President Sirleaf’s Appointment of City Mayors.” Star Radio, January 11.
Brown, George (1941). The Economic History of Liberia. Washington, DC: Associated Publishers.
Buell, Raymond (1965). The Native Problem in Africa. London: Frank Cass.
Burrowes, Carl P. (1982). The Settler Ruling Class Thesis: A Reconsideration. Occasional Paper. Chicago.
Cheeseman, Joseph (2006). “New DEAL against President Appointing City Mayors.” Star Radio, September 18.
Clark, Robert and Moses Wenyu (2010). “President Sirleaf Wants Ministries Create Employment for UP Partisans.” Star Radio, February 8.
Commission on Social Justice (2000). “What Is Social Justice?” In Christopher Pierson and Francis Geoffrey Castles (eds), The Welfare State Reader. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
Confidential Discussion (2010). Notes from Discussion with Former Official of the Nigerian Government.
Constitution of Liberia (1847). Monrovia: Government Printing Office.
Constitution of Liberia (1986). Monrovia: Government Printing Office.
Crocker, Chester (1985). Testimony on Liberian Elections before the United States House of Representatives’ Sub-Committee on Africa and Global Health. Washington, DC, December 10.
David, Magdalene (1984). “The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here: An Analysis of the Development of the Settler State in 19th Century Liberia.” Review of Political Economy, 11(31): 57–70.
Dolo, Emmanuel (2008). “Knucklesgate II: The End of Patronage Politics in Liberia?” The Liberian Journal, October 14, 1–4.
El-Khawas, Mohammed (2001). “Democracy in Africa: Problems and Solutions.” Mediterranean Quarterly, 12(3): 85–97.
Frank, Andre Gunder (1969). Capitalism and Underdevelopment in Latin America. New York: Penguin Books.
Freedom House (2011). Freedom in the World: Comparative and Historical Data, 1972–2010. Washington, DC: Freedom House.
Harris, David (2006). “Liberia 2005: An Unusual African Post-Conflict Election.” Journal of Modern African Studies, 44(3): 375–395.
Huhuonline.com (2010). “Charles Taylor: A Man Betrayed.” August 10, p. 1.
Human Rights Watch (1997). Liberia: Human Rights Development. New York: Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch (1999). Liberia: Human Rights Development. New York: Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch (2002). Liberia: Human Rights Development. New York: Human Rights Watch.
Human Rights Watch (2009). Liberia: Human Rights Development. New York: Human Rights Watch.
Iloba, Kingsley Chukuelozie (2009). “Reconstituting Democratic Governance Arrangement in Liberia: Re-examining a Framework of Peacebuilding.” Journal of International Development and Cooperation, 15(1–2): 75–93.
Independent Elections Commission of Liberia (1997a). The List of Candidates for the Presidential Election. Monrovia: INEC.
Independent Elections Commission of Liberia (1997b). The Results of the Presidential Election. Monrovia: INEC.
Inquirer (2000). “God Help Us.” March 8.
Jerue, Gibson (2006). Wrath of Press Union! A Statement. Monrovia.
Jones, Branwen Gruffydd (2008). “The Global Political Economy of Social Crisis: Towards a Critique of the ‘Failed State’ Ideology.” Review of International Political Economy, 15(2): 180–205.
Kennedy, Joe (2006). “President Sirleaf Writes Senate: Wants to Appoint City Mayors.” Star Radio, September 12.
Kieh, George Klay (1988). “Historical Antecedents to the April 12, 1980 Coup in Liberia.” Liberian Studies Journal, 13(2): 203–219.
Kieh, George Klay (1997). “The Crisis of Democracy in Liberia.” Liberian Studies Journal, 22(1): 23–29.
Kieh, George Klay (2006). “Elections and Voting Behavior: The Liberian Case.” UMOJA: The Bulletin of African and African-American Studies, 1(2): 1–17.
Kieh, George Klay (2008). Liberia’s First Civil War: The Crises of Underdevelopment. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
Kieh, George Klay (2009). “The State and Political Instability in Africa.” Journal of Developing Societies, 25(1): 1–25.
Kieh, George Klay (2011). “Warlords, Politicians and the Post-First Civil War Election in Liberia.” African and Asian Studies, 10(1 & 2): 83–99.
Kieh, George Klay (2012). Liberia’s State Failure, Collapse and Reconstitution. Cherry Hill, NJ: Africana Homestead Legacy Publishers.
Kieh, George Klay (2013). “The Second Post-Conflict Liberian Presidential Election.” Journal of International Studies and Development, 3(1): 123–141.
Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (1985). Liberia: A Promised Betrayed. New York: Lawyers’ Committee.
Liberian Corruption Watch (2010). “Ellen Blames Tolbert’s Failures on Family; Her Government Shows Disturbing Parallels.” www.liberiancorruptionwatch (accessed May 13, 2012).
Liberian Government (2008). Poverty Reduction Paper. Washington, DC: The International Monetary Fund.
Liberians United to Expose Hidden Weapons (2011). Run-Off Election Amid Violence: A Report. Monrovia: Liberians United to Expose Hidden Weapons. November 8.
Liebenow, J. Gus (1969). Liberia: The Evolution of Privilege. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Liebenow, J. Gus (1987). Liberia: The Quest for Democracy. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.
Lowenkopf, Martin (1976). Liberia: The Conservative Road to Development. Palo Atto, CA: Hoover Institution Press.
Lyons, Terrence (1999). Voting for Peace: Post Conflict Elections in Liberia. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
Marx, Karl and Frederich Engels (1998). The Communist Manifesto. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs, Liberia (1986). Economic Survey of Liberia. Monrovia: Government Printing Office.
National Elections Commission, Liberia (2005a). Political Parties. Monrovia: NEC.
National Elections Commission, Liberia (2005b). The List of Candidates for the 2005 Presidential Election. Monrovia: NEC.
National Elections Commission, Liberia (2005c). The Results of the First Round of the 2005 Presidential Election. Monrovia: NEC.
National Elections Commission, Liberia (2005d). The Results of the 2005 Run-Off Presidential Election. Monrovia: NEC.
National Elections Commission, Liberia (2011a). Political Parties. Monrovia: NEC.
National Elections Commission, Liberia (2011b). The List of Candidates in the 2011 Presidential Election. Monrovia: NEC.
National Elections Commission, Liberia (2011c). The Results of the First Round of the Presidential Election. Monrovia: NEC.
National Elections Commission, Liberia (2011d). The Results of the 2011 Run-Off Presidential Election. Monrovia: NEC.
Ndegwa, Stephen (2001). “A Decade of Democracy in Africa.” In Stephen Ndegwa (ed.), A Decade of Democracy in Africa. Leiden, The Netherlands: E. J. Brill.
Ndulo, Muna (2003). “The Democratization Process and Structural Adjustment in Africa.” Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies, 10(1): 315–368.
Pekins, Gbana (2011). “Unity party: Two More Legislators Resign.” OnLiberianMedium, July 8.
People’s Daily Online (2005). “AU Chief Urges Liberia’s Weah to Respect Election Results.” December 17, p. 1.
Pesta, Abigail (2012). “A Nobel Smackdown in Liberia: LeymahGbowee vs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.” The Daily Beast, October 10, p. 1.
Peters, May Mercado and Shala Shapouri (1997). “Income Inequality and Food Security.” Economic Research Service, November 9: 44–47.
Radelet, Steven (2010). “Success Stories from Emerging Africa.” Journal of Democracy, 21(4): 87–101.
Radio Veritas (1999a). “Topical Issues.” June 19.
Radio Veritas (1999b). “Topical Issues.” July 14.
Sawyer, Amos (1992). The Emergence of Autocracy in Liberia: Tragedy and Challenge. San Francisco: Institute for Cultural Studies Press.
Sawyer, Amos (2005). “Liberating Liberia: Understanding the Nature and Needs of Governance.” Harvard Journal of International Affairs, 27(3): 1–6.
Seaklon, Timothy (2006). “Journalists Turn Down Government Invitation.” The Inquirer, June 15.
Seyon, Patrick L. N. (1988). “The Results of the 1985 Liberian Elections.” Liberian Studies Journal, 13(2): 220–239.
Sieh, Rodeny and James Butty (2007). “Who’s More Corrupt? Sirleaf’s or Bryant’s Government? Auditor-General Slammed.” Frontpage Africa, June 13.
Sirleaf, Ellen Johnson (2006). Inaugural Address of the President of Liberia. Monrovia, Liberia, January 16.
Smith, Robert (1972). The American Policy in Liberia, 1822 – 1971. Monrovia: Providence Publications.
Sonpon, Leroy (2009). “Four Opposition Members Join Unity Party.” Daily Observer, September 2.
The Analyst (2011). “Liberia: Referendum Heats Up.” April 5.
The Informer (2010). “Liberia: Ellen’s Second Term Dream Receives Support in Southeast.” March 4.
The Star Newspaper (2008). “Dr. Dunn Named Head of Ad Hoc Group to Investigate Knuckles-Gate II.” September 13, p. 1.
The Telegraph (2013). “Nobel Laureate LeymahGbowee Disowns Fellow Winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.” May 24, 2013.
Tipoteh, Togba-Nah (1986). “Crisis in the Liberian Economy, 1980–1985.” Liberian Studies Journal, 11(2): 125–143.
United Nations Development Program (1990). Human Development Report. New York: Oxford University Press.
United Nations Development Program (2006). Liberia: National Human Development Report. New York: Oxford University Press.
United States Agency for International Development (2009). Liberia. Washington, DC: USAID.
United States Department of State (1997). Human Rights Report: Liberia. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State.
United States Department of State (1998). Human Rights Report: Liberia. Washington, DC: U. S Department of State.
United States Department of State (1999). Human Rights Report: Liberia. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State.
United States Department of State (2009). Human Rights Report: Liberia. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State.
Van der Kraaj, Fred (1983). The Open Door Policy of Liberia: An Economic History. Bremen, The Netherlands: Museum.
Wreh, Tuan (1976). The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here. New York: C. Hurst.
Yidana, Richard (2009). Notes on Liberal Democracy. Carver House Weekly Discussion Series.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2015 Said Adejumobi
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kieh, G.K. (2015). The Travails of Democratization in Liberia. In: Adejumobi, S. (eds) National Democratic Reforms in Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137518828_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137518828_2
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-56738-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-51882-8
eBook Packages: Palgrave History CollectionHistory (R0)