Examining the dynamics between economic conditions, voter willingness, and democracy in Africa: The mediating role of corruption

The democratic outcomes of a country depend on structural economic conditions, integrity of their institutions, and citizen behavior as argued in the political economy theory. Thus, the democracy itself could only be understood by the economic conditions, the level of corruption, and the extent of voter's willingness to participate. Using data from the Afrobarometer Round 8 data from 34 African countries, this study investigates these relationships. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) is used to analyze direct and indirect effects. The results suggest that negative economic conditions weakens democracy, worsens corruption, and increases voter willingness. In contrast, voter willingness to participate in the political processes strengthens democracy, but also increases the level of corruption. Mediation analysis confirms that participation and corruption are bridged by the mediating effects of economic conditions on the democratic legitimacy. By bringing together the economic, and governance aspects of democracy, this study enriches the debates in political economy and offers cross-national perspectives on the factors that constrain or foster democratic resilience.