The Puzzle

This chapter introduces the book’s central argument, puzzle and research question (i.e., why voting is inversely related to socioeconomic status in Africa). Moreover, the chapter provides a brief literature review of the relationship between socioeconomic status and political participation. Then, it summarises empirical findings across different regions, notably established democracies of Western Europe and the US and those of newer democracies in Latin America, East Asia and Africa. In addition, the chapter lays out the conceptual framework for explaining the reverse relationship between socioeconomic status and voting in Africa. Finally, the chapter concludes with a brief account of the case selection and data and a short outline of the estimation strategy.