Liberal Democracy and Peace in South Africa

"Liberal Democracy and Peace in South Africa provides an extensive analysis of the evolution of elite and public attitudes toward liberal values of trust, tolerance, and respect for state authority to assess the extent to which leadership and broader social change has accompanied the formal, legal, and institutional transition to a democratic system in South Africa. In richly detailed empirical analysis, carefully set in leading theories of democratization and researched with impressive precision, du Toit and Kotzé reveal that for urban poor South Africans, especially, unless economic and social change can yield more profound dignity, the process of democratization remains very much incomplete. In sum, this book combines a compelling argument with rigorous research to tap into the challenges of democracy s consolidation in post-apartheid South Africa, a county which is a critical test case for theories of democratization overall." - Timothy D. Sisk, Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development and International Peace, Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver

"South Africa s transition to democracy has been one of the most dramatic and has shown many skeptics to be wrong. This book by two of the continent s leading political scientists paints a realistic picture of recent developments based on general population and elite surveys extending over more than two decades. It shows some of the achievements in creating a more democratic, egalitarian, and peaceful political culture, but also some of the remaining tensions and challenges. Required reading for everyone concerned!" - Dirk Berg-Schlosser, Ph.D, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany

"This book asks whether democracy has made South Africa a more liberal and more peaceful society. Du Toit and Kotzé seek answers by analyzing changing attitudes and values of the South African public and South African elites in recent decades. In doing so, they provide unique insights into South African society." - Ronald Inglehart, Professor, Center for Political Studies, University of Michigan