Did former African colonies inherit their later politics directly from British democratic or Italian fascist rule?
Short answerA direct correspondence is questioned; popular support for the Commonwealth and continuity of agreements offer a different explanation.
NotesA former coloniser's ideology is questioned as a direct explanation for a later African political system. Britain's effort to build support for the Commonwealth offers a different line of inquiry. Popular political consent is presented as a requirement for that relationship. A guest argues that changes of government within a democracy can preserve previous agreements, whereas a change of autocratic regime may discard them. This proposed explanation concerns continuity in trading relationships and acknowledges democracy's own instability.