Democratization in the Global South The Importance of Transformative Politics

'In recent decades, a remarkable shift away from authoritarianism and towards democracy has occurred in many parts of the developing world. However alongside this political shift, dramatic economic and social inequalities and inequities remain. While social scientists have devoted much energy to explaining how and why democratization occurs, they have devoted much less energy to explaining the conditions under which further democratization is able to help promote economic and social development. This book aims to help fill this lacunae, focusing directly on issues related to the substantive impact of democracy on the lives of ordinary citizens. This book, the third in a series of books by a distinguished group of international scholars on the challenges and dynamics of democratization in the Global South, is a welcome contribution to a critical field of study and should be of interest to students of both development and democracy.' -Sheri Berman, Columbia University, USA

'This book provides vauable insights on how democracy can be deepened and made to serve the interests of working people without sacrificing economic growth. The point of departure is Nordic social democracy, but the challenges of economic development, institution building and political mobilization in the Global South provide the context for understanding the book's core concern of transformative politics. Students of comparative politics, political economy and development studies in general will find this book useful.' -Yusuf Bangura, former Research Coordinator at UNRISD

'Bringing together an impressive collection of contributors, intelligent comparative analysis, and in-depth understanding of countries across the Global South, this volume makes a significant contribution to the study of processes of democratic transformation. It will be valued in political science, development studies, and beyond.' - Glyn Williams, University of Sheffield, UK