Publication

This paper looks at the political situation and attitudes of the middle class in Kenya to determine whether the rise of the middle class in Africa could lead to the consolidation of democracy on the continent. After providing a definition of the middle class, the author examines the role of class in Kenya and finds that its middle class is more likely to support and hold pro-democratic attitudes. He suggests that this means that, for at least some African countries, ongoing demographic changes are likely to generally improve the prospects for democratic consolidation.