Amazon.com description: Product Description: This book is written by seasoned scholars of African Studies and is intended to make a significant contribution to the debate on democracy and democratization in the continent. It contains a rich mixture of analytical ideas and views on the transition to democratic governance in Africa. It provides both students of African political economy and policymakers in the continent an in-depth analysis of the post-independence experiences of African countries with institutional reforms. Specifically, the contributors to this important volume examine the struggles of Africans, since independence, to provide themselves with accountable, participatory and democratic governance structures, and resource allocation systems that guarantee economic freedom and enhance entrepreneurship and wealth creation. This volume breaks new ground in that it places significant emphasis on the reconstruction and reconstitution of the neocolonial state as a critical first step to a successful transition to democratic governance in Africa.