Democratization and state building in Botswana and Zimbabwe: a comparative case study

This paper seeks to explain the divergent political systems that exist in Botswana and Zimbabwe. While Botswana has sustained a stable democratic political system since it gained independence, Zimbabwes political system has become increasingly authoritarian and undemocratic. This study will use a most-similar-systems methodological approach to examine the impact of three hypotheses, colonialism, racial/ethnic conflict and economic status during colonialism, on Botswana and Zimbabwes divergent post-colonial political systems. This research will evaluate these three separate hypotheses using qualitative and historical data to analyze each hypothesis individual effect on the political systems that exist in Botswana and Zimbabwe. The findings support the hypothesis and argue that colonial history has the most impact on a countrys post-colonial political outcome.