"This book examines one-third of the West African states and suggests that the sub-region most affected by militarism and autocratic rule is very slowly emerging from the gripping embrace of authoritarianism." Through a close analysis of a representative sample of states, Not Yet Democracy documents how the experiment of abandoning authoritarianism has unfolded in West Africa. To do this, the authors highlight the historical continuity of both military interference and elite rivalries over state control. They conclude that it will take time and continued disillusionment before entrenched militarism and authoritarian practices disappear from West Africa.