Native scholars offer clearly written coverage of the relationship between political parties and democracy in Africa and Oceania.

Political Parties and Democracy: Volume IV: Africa and Oceania is the fourth volume in this five-volume set. It offers clearly written, up-to-date coverage of the political parties of these two regions from the unique perspective of distinguished indigenous scholars who have lived the truths they tell and, thus, write with unique breadth, depth, and scope.

Presented in two parts, this volume overviews African parties, then discusses the realities on the ground in Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, and South Africa. The book offers an introduction to the political parties of Oceania, followed by chapters on Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands. Throughout, contributors explore the relationship between political parties and democracy (or democratization) in their respective nations, providing necessary historical, socioeconomic, and institutional context, and clarifying the balance of power among parties-and between them and competing agencies of power-today.

Kay Lawson is professor emerita of political science at San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA.

Luc Sindjoun is professor and head of the Political Science Department at University of Yaoundé II, Cameroon.

Marian Simms is professor of political studies in the Politics Department, University of Otago, New Zealand (Chair 2002-2007).