The middle class and democratic consolidation in Zambia

Abstract

Using Zambia's 2008 Governance Survey, this paper examines the relationship between class, political participation, trust and values. Three notable findings emerge. First, Zambia's middle class is less likely to vote or demonstrate but more distrusting of political institutions and more likely to oppose bridewealth. Secondly, the conceptualization of the middle class makes a difference depending on the outcome of interest, especially in Africa where correlates of class found elsewhere may not necessarily move in the same direction. Thirdly, the results suggest that the main difference is between wealthier Zambians and the poor instead of the middle class and everyone else.