Diversity and democracy in Ethiopia

Abstract

This paper, which sees democracy as an incremental habituation of a political culture that societies with modern economy entertain, argues that Ethiopia's current politics can only be understood as a transition from a totalitarian to a democratic culture. However, the transition to full-fledged liberal democracy is struggling to overcome two hurdles: the absence of a formidable middle class and the prevalence of a tenuous national identity. Even if liberal democracy appears a distant dream, the current hybrid political culture will not allow the country to backpedal to a blatant authoritarianism. The political culture, which is undergoing a permanent change, is en route to liberal democracy, albeit incrementally.