Journal of Good Governance and Su Website: http://www.rcmss.com. ISSN: 2 Scot Schraufnage 1 Research Centre for Ma A Cross-National Compar Sc 1 Northern Illinois Unive DeKalb, Illinois 60115-2 2 Northern Illinois Unive 60115-2828. Email: pgo Man Abstract The political fortunes of Sub-Saha late 1980s, many countries have h participation rates, a common sta represents a first look at the deter stability in national elections since model is developed to test a colo colonizing power has had on conte played by ethnic fractionalization found to associate with less part uncovers, on average, voter turnou Key Words: Voter Turnout; Africa Pluralism Introduction Africa is home to about one-sev the world's nation-states.Being gives rise to a rich and diverse t Africa has become a desired tou governmental stability on much ethnic lines, giving rise to pol Morrison 2008; Eifert, Miguel dispersed equitably and are o Africa’s vast and varied terrain 1996),which creates socio-econ party electionsin many nation-s trend away from political stri continent (Wiseman 1993; Lind This research studies r focus on voter participation ra turnout are central to the demo democratic transition (Mozaff (1989)argues, convincingly, tha and participatory elections.Alth which countries are, and whic competentelections unlike any governance (Bratton and van d ustainable Development in Africa (JGGSDA), Vol. 2, No 3, D 2354-158X (Online) ISSN: 2346-724X (Print) el& Peter Gowen, 2014, 2(3):1-15 anagement and Social Studies rison of Voter Turnout in 15 Sub-Saharan Afr cot Schraufnagel, PhD 1 &Peter Gowen 2 ersity, Department of Political Science, 2828. Email: sschrauf@niu.edu(Corresponding Author) ersity, Department of Political Science, DeKalb, Illinois owen@niu.edu nuscript ID: RCMSS/JGGSDA/1412001 aran Africa changed dramatically in the past twenty-five held regular multi-party elections. A cross-national exam arting point for work on democratization, is now possi rminants of voter turnout in 15 African states that have e 1988. Controlling for several standard explanations of onial legacy thesis, which seeks to understand the influe emporary political outcomes. In addition, the research ex n and religious diversity on electoral participation rates. ticipation and the latter higher voter turnout. Moreove ut is higher in former French colonies. a; Democratization; Colonial Legacy; Ethnic Fractionaliz venth of the world's people and it contains a little ov the second largest continent in the world, Africa’s terrain featured in countless movies and photographs urist destination for people from all over the globe. h of the continent is incomplete. Nation-states often litical discord and social disharmony(Annett 2001; l, and Posner 2010).High natural resource endow often linked to civil conflict (Homer-Dixon 199 hides the fact there is a dearth of suitable farmland ( nomic and political challenges. Nevertheless, shiftsto states,since the late 1980s and early 1990s,may mar ife toward a steadiersocial and economic life for dberg 2006). recent elections in 15 Sub-Saharan African nation ates. Scholars argue, quality electionswith reasonab ocratic experience and go a long way toward defin far 2002, 86; Moehler 2009). Political theorist at the core institution of modern liberal democracy hough elections with high voter turnout are insuffic ch are not,succeeding as democracies, scholarship y other democratic institution must precede su de Walle 1997; Lindberg 2006, 1).Moreover, man December, 2014. rican States years. Since the mination of voter ible. This paper witnessed some voter turnout, a ence the former xamines the role . The former is er, the research zation; Religious ver a quarter of great expanse s. Increasingly, Unfortunately, n divide along Lindberg and wments are not 94). Moreover, (Eswaran et al. o stable multi- rk a permanent r much of the n-states with a bly high voter ning successful Robert Dahl is competitive cient to define p suggests that uccessful self- ny argue early