Reginald Oduour explains that prior to Western Imperialist incursions into Africa, many peoples therein had consensus-building (not majoritarian) political systems. Today, there is a huge emphasis on elections and many people seem to be under the illusion that democracy parses with election/voting. How do we break electoral majoritarianism's spell?
https://theloop.ecpr.eu/how-elections-stifle-democracy-in-kenya/
One way could be to raise awareness about other democratic approaches. You may be interested in this book:
Vergara, C. (2020). Systemic Corruption: Constitutional Ideas for an Anti-Oligarchic Republic. Princeton University Press.
Hi Justin! Thanks very much for your contribution here! :)
How would you go about raising awareness?
I think that the presentation of democracies via media and political parties is indeed still focussed on elections and thus corresponds largely to Schumpeter's minimalist theory. However, in a broader public, especially among critical citizens and civil society (NGOs etc.), democracy means much more than elections. We can also see many new instruments of democratic expression and public pressure in the last years, like citizens' assemblies etc. In some countries, there is a broader understanding than in others, but in general I agree, it's still too much focus on elections.
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