The DOI matches its Crossref record; 193 of the 204 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Institutions and Ethnic Politics in Africa
Abstract
This book presents a theory to account for why and when politics revolves around one axis of social cleavage instead of another. It does so by examining the case of Zambia, where people identify themselves either as members of one of the country's seventy-three tribes or as members of one of its four principal language groups. The book accounts for the conditions under which Zambian political competition revolves around tribal differences and under which it revolves around language group differences. Drawing on a simple model of identity choice, it shows that the answer depends on whether the country operates under single-party or multi-party rule. During periods of single-party rule, tribal identities serve as the axis of electoral mobilization and self-identification; during periods of multi-party rule, broader language group identities play this role. The book thus demonstrates how formal institutional rules determine the kinds of social cleavages that matter in politics.
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In the citing paper
“In Kenya, the relatively even balance among several major ethnic groups has generated incentives for shifting ethnic coalitions, with the principal parties reorganizing across cycles to match the size requirements of presidential electoral competition.”
From THE LIMITS OF ELECTORAL COMPETITION: HOW POLITICAL OPENINGS CAN FUEL PATRONAGE AND INSTABILITY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SIERRA LEONE, GHANA, AND KENYA (2026) · cites this paper as Posner's (2005)
In the citing paper
“Posner argues that ethnic identities are politically mobilized when they correspond to the size at which electoral coalitions can be efficiently constructed within the prevailing institutional rules.”
From THE LIMITS OF ELECTORAL COMPETITION: HOW POLITICAL OPENINGS CAN FUEL PATRONAGE AND INSTABILITY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SIERRA LEONE, GHANA, AND KENYA (2026) · cites this paper as Posner's (2005)
In the citing paper
“In Sierra Leone, the partial north-south ethnic division has stabilized two-party competition around regional bases while generating intense competition for non-aligned swing voters through clientelist mobilization.”
From THE LIMITS OF ELECTORAL COMPETITION: HOW POLITICAL OPENINGS CAN FUEL PATRONAGE AND INSTABILITY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SIERRA LEONE, GHANA, AND KENYA (2026) · cites this paper as Posner's (2005)
In the citing paper
“In Ghana, the relatively balanced two-party system and the absence of a single dominant ethnic group have generated incentives for both major parties to construct broad cross-ethnic coalitions, with programmatic differentiation serving as the basis for competition where ethnic appeals would be insufficient.”
From THE LIMITS OF ELECTORAL COMPETITION: HOW POLITICAL OPENINGS CAN FUEL PATRONAGE AND INSTABILITY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SIERRA LEONE, GHANA, AND KENYA (2026) · cites this paper as Posner's (2005)
In the citing paper
“In small-scale electoral arenas, sub-ethnic identities are mobilized; in larger arenas, broader ethnolinguistic categories become salient.”
From THE LIMITS OF ELECTORAL COMPETITION: HOW POLITICAL OPENINGS CAN FUEL PATRONAGE AND INSTABILITY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SIERRA LEONE, GHANA, AND KENYA (2026) · cites this paper as Posner's (2005)
Citations
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
The Making and Unmaking of Ethnic Boundaries: A Multilevel Process Theory
Wimmer, A. (2008) · American Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1086/522803 · Cited by 1,496
Why Does Ethnic Diversity Undermine Public Goods Provision?
Habyarimana, J., Humphreys, M., Posner, D., & Weinstein, J. M. (2007) · American Political Science Review · doi:10.1017/s0003055407070499 · Cited by 1,330
Self-citationHodler, R., & Raschky, P. A. (2014) · The Quarterly Journal of Economics · doi:10.1093/qje/qju004 · Cited by 744
WHAT IS ETHNIC IDENTITY AND DOES IT MATTER?
Chandra, K. (2006) · Annual Review of Political Science · doi:10.1146/annurev.polisci.9.062404.170715 · Cited by 734
Political Competition and Ethnic Identification in Africa
Eifert, B., Miguel, E. A., & Posner, D. (2010) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1111/j.1540-5907.2010.00443.x · Cited by 689
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Posner, D. N.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Corresponding author
- Posner, Daniel N.
- ORCID
- Posner, Daniel N.
- Venue
- Cambridge University Press eBooks
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Published
- 2005-06-06
- OpenAlex
- W4211113828
- Cited by
- 1,113
- References
- 204
- Citations by year
- 2026: 25 · 2025: 50 · 2024: 93 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 58 · 2021: 81 · 2020: 98 · 2019: 143 · 2018: 131 · 2017: 49 · 2016: 62 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 43 · 2013: 42 · 2012: 28
- FWCI
- 21.66
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cambridge University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › African Studies and Ethnography
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Political Conflict and Governance
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Electoral Systems and Political Participation
- Keywords
- ethnic politics, social cleavages, tribal identity, language groups, identity choice, one-party rule, voter mobilization, political institutions, Zambia, ethnic voting
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