9515439 Mozaffar Constitutional designs and electoral systems define the basic institutional framework of political life in a democracy. Their choice is one of the most important decisions made in new democracies. Their consequences for government stability and for peaceful management of political conflicts are important determinants of the survival of new democracies. This investigation undertakes a comparative study of constitutional designs and electoral systems in the emerging democracies of Sub-Saharan Africa. The study addresses three related questions: 1) what are the basic institutional characteristics of constitutional designs and electoral systems in Africa's emerging democracies? 2) What factors account for the choice of these constitutional designs and electoral systems? 3) What are their consequences for conflict management, for government stability, and for democratic consolidation in Africa? The investigation collects and analyzes data on the key institutional features of constitutional designs and electoral systems in all 48 African countries which have made, or are scheduled to make, the transition to democracy; and the results of presidential and legislative elections. The first type of data are collected for three time period: 1945-circa 1965 (decolonization and early postindependence, and largely democratic, period); circa 1990 (largely authoritarian period, but also including varied democratic experiments); and the post-1990 redemocratization period. The second type of data will be collected for the post-1990 period. This award for Research at an Undergraduate Institution promises to considerably enhance our understanding of the topic. The data set to be generated will be of assistance to other scholars interested in the requisites of democratic systems. ***
