Patrick Kibbe, University of Notre Dame
“Development and Democracy in Rural Madagascar”
Bio: Patrick Kibbe is a senior Program of Liberal Studies major and a Philosophy, Politics, and Economics minor at the University of Notre Dame. After growing up in South Bend, Indiana, Patrick spent his junior year at Oxford University, England, where he focused on political theory, macroeconomics, and politics in Sub Saharan Africa. This past summer, Patrick was an intern for Azafady, a Malagasy based NGO in Southeast Madagascar, working on health, sanitation, education, and demographic mapping projects. During his time at Notre Dame and Oxford Patrick has served as a judicial council Peer Advocate, Vice President of Knott Hall, and boxed for the Notre Dame and Oxford Boxing Clubs. He is currently applying to graduate schools and hopes to pursue a career in International Development.
Abstract: Democracy plays a key role in human development by supporting the intrinsic values of freedom, participation, and basic human rights. In addition studies have shown that the policies of democratic governments can make a significant difference in human development over time. Madagascar, a cripplingly poor but often forgotten nation in the international spotlight, is currently making strong gains in the areas of political freedom, economic stability, and meeting the basic human needs of its people. There is, however, a dearth of literature on the state of civil society and the development of democratic ideals in Madagascar, which are crucial to the process of democratization. Some evidence suggests Madagascar does have a strong civil society committed to democracy as demonstrated by relatively high levels of horizontal accountability, high voter turnout, and nonviolent civil protests during a 2001 election dispute. Yet the unfailing passage of constitutional referendums devolving power back to the executive, and the reelection of the country’s longtime military dictator to the presidency in 1997 gives evidence to the contrary. Specifically, these items call in to question whether Madagascar’s civil society mobilization and voting patterns are driven by economic need rather than by a belief in the ideals of democracy. This question is especially pertinent in the case of lowland rural farmers who have historically been marginalized in the political process, and are the most vulnerable to economic instability, rising food prices, and conservation policies.
