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Burnell & Randall: Politics in the Developing World 2e

Chapter 20b

  1. Why has the Jacob Zuma saga captured so much political attention in South Africa?

  2. In what main ways is South Africa very typical of politics in sub-Saharan Africa more generally?

  3. In what main ways is South Africa very untypical of politics in sub-Saharan Africa more generally?

  4. Does South Africa's experience of nation-building offer any lessons to Zimbabwe and should South Africa's government have done more to bring them to the attention of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe?

  5. What role should South Africa play in the Organisation of African Unity?

  6. To what extent is South Africa's relatively successful democratization a consequence of the (unique) part played by Nelson Mandela?

  7. Discuss the ANC's contribution, positive and negative, to nation-building in South Africa.

  8. Should South Africa be more proactive in addressing domestic political conflicts in the region that threaten instability to its neighbours, and if so, what form should the action take?

  9. What are the lessons of nation-building from South Africa that could be applied to other divided countries and what are the lessons that apply only to South Africa?

  10. Are South Africa and Indonesia the regional equivalents of superpowers, and if they do not already have that status do you expect they will acquire it in due course?

  11. Can liberal democracy in South Africa survive if the African National Congress continues to dominate the elections?

  12. What did the 1997 financial crisis reveal to be the main weaknesses of the Soeharto regime?

  13. Assess the contribution of the ANC to nation and state-building in South Africa.

  14. Discuss the view that the most serious threat to stability and national unity in both South Africa and Indonesia stems from economic stagnation  and inequality.