Study published this month Journal of International Relations and Development They claim that the size and isolation of these countries, such as Cape Verde, Comoros, Mauritius, Sao Tome and Principe and the Seychelles, hold the key to their freedom. It is part of a growing academic study that suggests that being a small island is associated with democracy. In Africa, the authors of the study argue that smallness leads to more personal politics, and members can urge civil servants to keep their promises. Being an island, the author adds that these countries are exempt from borders where neighboring countries may contend or spill over.
Take Cape Verde. After independence, it was led by a single party. Although far from democracy, it still held regular elections, allowing some opposition politicians to compete. The authors attribute the relative liberalism to the island’s personal politics. They say it’s much harder for a single party to crack down on dissidents when they are neighbors or friends. In the 1990s, it was completely democratized, thanks to the relative liberalism of the last few decades. Today, Cape Verde is just below the UK on the Freedom House Democracy Index.
Identifying the foundations of democracy is tricky, especially in such small samples, and given that small countries are likely to be statistical outliers. These islands have several other attributes that can explain their politics. They lack the natural wealth of diamonds and oil that underpins tyranny elsewhere. Instead, many of the islands rely on tourism. Tourism tends to provide work and income to a wide range of societies, which can promote stability and development. However, the five differ in other respects, being colonized by different countries, bequeathing different political systems and achieving different levels of development.More than four times more than in Seychelles Per cape Verde or Comoros. Mauritius has a parliamentary system inherited from the United Kingdom. Seychelles and Comoros are presidents. Cape Verde and Sao Tome Principe have a semi-presidential system.
The success of the small islands is not beneficial to the rest of Africa. Mainland countries cannot split into smaller states and flow into the Atlantic Ocean. Even if it does, democracy on a small island is flawed. The Cape Verdeans, ironically, complain about the transplants that may result from the same personal politics that made democracy prosperous. Comoros is suffering from political instability. Seychelles changed power last year for the first time in decades. However, the study reveals that African countries may be democratic and well-managed, if not most so far.