Legislative development in Africa : politics and post-colonial legacies / Ken Ochieng' Opalo.

Originally presented as the author's thesis (doctoral)--Stanford University, 2015.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Legislative development in Africa -- Intra-elite politics and credible commitment -- Colonial origins of parliaments in Kenya and Aambia -- Elite control and legislative development -- Legislative institutionalization in time -- Electoral politics and legislative independence -- Conclusion.

"What explains contemporary variations in African legislative institutions -- including their strengths and weaknesses? Compared with more power executive branches, legislatures throughout the continent have historically been classified as weak and almost inconsequential to policy-making processes. But as Ken Ochieng' Opalo suggests here, African legislatures actually serve important roles, and under certain conditions, powerful and independent democratic legislatures emerge from their autocratic foundations. In this book, Opalo examines the colonial origins of African legislatures, as well as how post-colonial intra-elite politics sought to adapt inherited colonial legislatures to their respective local political contexts. By focusing on the case studies of Kenya and Zambia, Opalo offers a comparative longitudinal study of legislative strength and institutionalization as well as a regional survey of legislative development under colonial rule, post-colonial autocratic single party rule, and multiparty politics throughout Africa"--Provided by publisher.