Lec 7- apartheid and segregation Flashcards
AfD alternative for germany party
secured over 20% and secular trends is the decline of vote for centrist parties in 2025
AfD support is a function of
- opposition to immigration, concerns over housing, frustration with colaition infighting. but true across germany.
- protest vote shifting from hard-left to hard right
- has built up a dense network of organizers in EG
- tactics: effective use of social media, capturing the youth vote.
- grievances over emptying cities, declining services, a shrinking tax base
- a persuassive sense, not entirely wrong, that west germans look down on them
- racism but it did not double since the last election
similarities of apartheid and segregation in the US and SA
- both former british colonies
- both are democracies
- southern US and SA pursued similar racist policies
- apartheid translates to segregation or separateness/ the state of being apart
- SA political disenfranchisement went further formally, but america achieved most of the same informally
differences between the U.S. and S.A
black south africans stripped of citizenship through the 1970 Bantau citizenship act and pushed into townships.
an odd indigeneity arguemnt was used where legislations defined black SA’s as ethnic groups and assigned them homelands and forced self gov. on them
occurred at the national level in SA, whereas it was state level in the U.S.
US desegregation tracked the postwar arc of rights, coming under greater pressure in the 1950s and insurmountable pressure in the 1960s: US civil rights movement was the trailblazer for later social movements
sources of segregation
systematic racism in both countries; societies and institutions were shot through with it
formerly a scope condition
U.S. segregation
enabled by the courts and federalism
louisiana 1890s federal troops occupied the state from end of the war until 1877
federalism: when federal troops pulled out, the state instituted segregationst policies in 1890 it passed and the louisiana sepearate car act
the courts: in 1892, in a test case. homer plessy’s case paved the way for segregation because it legitimized it. the court ruled that separate but equal did not violate the constitution and implied a merely legal distinction between white and black people
federalism
was an agent for segregation
segregation is inseparable from federalism and the power of the states
segregation correlates strongly with violence
forceful federalism
a prerequisite historically to desegregation and today to racial justice
necessary because of state powers and racial justice
necessary because of state powers and racial inequality’s self reinforcing character.
foreceful fedearlism required coercive state power and new federal standard and hybrid forms
segregation today
NO! but subtler forms of exclusion exists
republicans are now a white supremacist party, voter integrity laws and rantings against critical race theory
South Africa
regional hegemon
among the wealthiest countries in sub-saharan africa
achieved a double transition to full democracy and from apartheid without violence or revolution
institutions have proved resilient in the face of great inequality, mass unemployment. and HIV crisis
toward apartheid
1870: gold discovered ushering in wealth and attracting further migration from the UK. Mining gold and cheap labor are essential factors in SA’s evolution
case and class overlapped
interwar segregation in SA
unable to sustain themselves, reserves became supplies of cheap labor
africans left for the cities, leading to pass laws
post ww2
the war drew more africans into the cities, destroyed european colonization, and deligitmized racism
government made a few concessions eased pass laws, raised black factory wages, etc but had no intention of a full scale overturning of segregation.
there was a moment where an alternative history might have been written turning points where history failed to tuen
1948 election (important for understanding apartheid)
the war and a few United party gestures had rained iliberal expectations
ANC adopted Africa’s claims in SA and called for the abolition of discrimination
the national party defined indians as unassimilable called for the regorous segregation of mixed race, colored people, the complete segregation of africans on their reserves and the abolition of the native representatives council and african’s representatives in parliament. also cannled for an end of english dominance of the civil service
the program was called: apartheid
national party won majority seats due to FPTP even though united party won the most votes
implementing apartheid
national party eliminated every vestige of black political participation
reached its legislative peak under PM Verwoerd and Vorster
Apartheid involved:
- dividing the population into four racial groups - white, colored, indian, and african. the white were the civilized race with absolute power
- white were one nation, africans several, which manufactured a white majority
- intermarriage and miscegenation made illegal (1949-1950)
- 1953, while the USSC heard brown and ruled that segregation in public facilities requried equal facilities; SA parliament passed the reservation of separate amenities act to legalize separate and unequal
the electoral system locked Apartheid in
1953 election:
- opposition merged into United Front, had SA business community support and outspent the national party
1958 election:
- english, moderate Afrikaneer turnout dropped: liberals migrated
- united outdid the NP in its racism. it split the party, the progressives broke off and national party dominance was secure
end of apartheid and SA institutions today
1980s: criticism increased, SA became the focus of campus and NGO activism, sanctions applied (sport boycott was most effective)
PM Botha: PM 1978-1984 transformed SA into a presidential system was a hard liner who made only modest concessions
Frederik Willem de Klerk
conservative, robust defender of apartheid
elected state president in 1990 and expected to defend apartheid
then surprised everyone and released Nelson Mendela in 1990 and dismantled apartheid
In a Nixon and Red China dynamic, he was able to bring the NP with him
De Klerk refused to apologize for Apartheid until 2020, expressed regret over post-Apartheid development of the country
south african institutions today
mixed model: west minister presidentialism
comprise between out going NP, which wanted PR and minority representation and the ANC, which wanted a strong central governemnt to transform SA’s society and economy
chief executive is the president but is chosen by the national assembly (lower hosue) and can be removed through a non-confidence vote
is both the head of state and the head of gov. the former gives them a prestige that is greater than that of a typical westminister PM
May call referenda and elections with NA support after 3 years
NA is elected for 5 years high degree of party discipline
upper house, the national council of delegates, is weaker, indirectly elected based on mine province that send 10 delegates
judiciary
powerful; viewed as a guarentor of human rights
has shown independece
electoral system
PR is based on single nationwide consituency
no threshold
systme both reassured white voters, who would have received fewer seats under FPTP and ensures a black majority in the legislature
conclusion
SA certainly has its challenges: crime, corrpution, HIV/AIDs crisis, massive poverty, unemployment, and, most recently economic stagnation
ANC’s domination of government until 2024 led to predictably, cronyism, corruption.
but democracy has meant progress so increased black south african access to basic shit
despite horrible history black south africans express high levels of national pride and identification with south africa.
in that respect, they share much with african americans: both have demonstrated a rejection (overall) of violence, a respect for due process, and confidence in and support for their countries and institutions despite the fact that, for most of their respective histories, neither of those governments nor the majority of their white nationals did anything to merit.
