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University of Evansville

Publication Date

Spring 2010

Program Name

Madagascar: National Identity and Social Change

Abstract

Democracy is a universal concept that has spread rapidly throughout the world in the 20th century with the end of colonialism and the rise of large international organizations. Democracy in Madagascar was officially declared in 1960 after 65 years under French colonial rule. Over the 50 years of its independence, Madagascar has faced several political crises and has struggled with development and poverty. Democracy was brought to Madagascar by the French which means that the Malagasy people were not given much choice for their form of government and since independence have had trouble maintaining a democracy and all of the principles it entails. This raises the question: what do Malagasy people conceive of as a good government?

The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of Malagasy expectations for a government and what the Malagasy people consider to be good governance and a democracy. The basic assumption of this study is that good governance and the way democracy is manifested varies from culture to culture. The objectives of this study are:

• To learn what Malagasy people expect from the government, political parties, and the opposition.

• To gain an understanding of what role and powers Malagasy people feel they should have in governance.

• To learn what role the international community should take in Malagasy politics

• To form a Malagasy definition of democracy

• To gain an understanding of the problems facing democracy and good governance in Madagascar from the point of view of the Malagasy people

This study is significant in building good governance and democracy in Madagascar. The information that this study gathers can help to inform members of the government, political parties, the opposition, and the civil society of what Malagasy people want them to do and what roles they should be fulfilling. The study can also help inform Malagasy government on the principles that are important to Malagasy people. It also reveals several of the major problems that Malagasy citizen see with democracy and governance in Madagascar which can lead to ideas and plans for solutions to these problems so that democracy and good governance can be achieved in Madagascar. This study can also contribute to work and research in the field of government and democracy. Therefore, this study is significant for both practical and academic purposes.

Disciplines

Political Science | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

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