Illuminating the Arts-Policy Nexus 
Illuminating the Arts-Policy Nexus is a fortnightly series of articles on the role of art in public policymaking. This series invites WPI fellows and project leaders as well as external practitioners to contribute pieces on how artists have led policy change and how policymakers can use creative strategies.
In Every Nation for Itself: Winners and Losers in a G-Zero World, World Policy Institute Senior Fellow Ian Bremmer illustrates a historic shift in the international system and the world economy—and an unprecedented moment of global uncertainty.
Recovery: Consensual Democracy
The Union Building, home of South Africa's parliament.
[Editor's note: The theme of the Spring 2011 issue of World Policy Journal is “Recovery: Paths Out of the Wilderness.” We asked experts, policymakers, and writers from around the world to answer this question: “What is the most innovative approach to sustaining the global economic recovery?”]
By Emmanual Asmah and Olumide Taiwo
It has been well established that improved governance in general—and democracy in particular—fosters economic growth. It is also fair to argue that societies thrive best under the right kind of political systems. Combining these two arguments, we can conclude that economies should perform best under the right kind of democratic governance.
In the post-colonial era, democracy in African countries—with a few notable exceptions—has generally taken the form of an adversarial, winner-take-all system. One result has been the centralization of power within particular ethnic groups. In cases where the ruling ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population, adversarial democracy has led to what is commonly referred to as “elected dictatorship,” where the minority groups have limited economic freedom. Not surprisingly, most of these elected dictatorships are poor.
Economic conditions might be improved in these countries through the adoption of “consensual democracy,” a system that promotes inclusiveness through bargaining and compromise among regional and ethnic political parties, and allows each group to have a stake in power. In a consensual democracy, losing parties in elections and the people they represent can have a stake in their government, rather than simply trying to undo the efforts of the ruling party or transforming themselves into rebel groups. This system has the potential to pay enormous dividends—increased engagement, a sense of ownership, enhanced stability, improved transparency and limited corruption.
Emmanuel Asmah & Olumide Taiwo are Africa Research Fellows at the Brookings Institution.
Photo courtesy of flickr user Nick Boalch.
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