Qualifications
BA Hons (University of Stellenbosch); MA (University of Stellenbosch); PhD (University of Pretoria)
Teaching specialisation
Southern African politics; South African politics; comparative politics and democracy.
Research interests
South African
politics; comparative southern African politics; political culture; religion
and political development; dominant party systems; democracy; liberation
movements.
BIO
Nicola de Jager (PhD
in Political Science, University of Pretoria) is a senior lecturer at the
Department of Political Science, Co-Editor-in-Chief of Commonwealth and
Comparative Politics and Research Associate of the Transformation Research
Unit (TRU). TRU is a research unit focused on projects dealing with
transformations from autocracy to democracy and the reverse, conditions for the
persistence of democracy, and the quality of government. Nicola has edited two
books: South African Politics published by Oxford University Press and Friend
or Foe? Dominant party systems in southern Africa (co-editor Prof. Pierre
du Toit) published by UCT Press and the UNU Press. She has published in a
number of peer-reviewed journals, including Democratization, Taiwan
Journal of Democracy and the Journal of Contemporary African Studies
on topics of religion and politics, democratisation, South African politics and
southern African politics. She became a nationally rated researcher (NRF-rated)
in 2014.
Find out more
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nicola_De_Jager
Current research projects
Understanding the influence of Christianity and democratic development, with a focus on South Africa's democratic development.
Publications
Books
De Jager, N. (ed.) 2015. South African Politics: An Introduction. Cape Town: Oxford University Press Southern Africa.
De Jager, N. and Du Toit, P. (eds.) 2013. Friend or Foe? Dominant party systems in Southern Africa: Insights from the developing world. United Nations University Press and UCT Press.
Articles in Refereed Journals
De Jager, N. and De Jager, P.
2019. ‘Evaluating the potential of
Protestant Christianity to stimulate democracy and good governance in
sub-Saharan Africa through the valuing of the individual,’ Democratization,
26 (2): 225-246.
De Jager, N. 2017.
‘Protestantism as Conducive and Syncretism as a Hindrance to South Africa’s
Democratic Development,’ Taiwan Journal of Democracy, 13 (1): 13-33.
Van Beek, U. and de Jager, N.
2017. ‘South Africa in the regional context: The elusiveness of democratic
consolidation,’ Taiwan Journal of Democracy, 13 (1):163-173.
De Jager, N. and Sebudubudu, D.
2017. ‘Towards understanding Botswana and South Africa's ambivalence to liberal
democracy,’ Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 35 (1):15-33.
De Jager, N. and Steenekamp,
C.L. 2016. 'The changing political culture of the African National
Congress,' Democratization, 23 (5): 919-939.
De Jager, N. and Musuva, C.
2016. 'The influx of Zimbabweans into South Africa: a crisis of governance that
spills over'. Africa Insight, 8(1): 15-30.
Hågensen, L. and de Jager, N.
2016. 'Xenophobic attacks in South Africa: The case of De Doorns 2009'. Strategic
Review, 38 (1): 107-125.
Du Toit, P. and de Jager, N.
2014. 'South Africa's Dominant-Party System in Comparative
Perspective'. Taiwan Journal of Democracy, 10 (2): 93-113.
De Jager, N. and Meintjes,
C.H. 2013. 'Winners, losers and the playing field in southern Africa's
'democratic darlings': Botswana and South Africa compared. Politikon,
40(2): 233-253.
Hodzi, O., Hartwell, L. and de
Jager, N. 2012. 'Unconditional aid: Assessing the impact of China's
developmental assistance to Zimbabwe'. South Africa Journal of
International Affairs, 19(1): 79-103.
Hopstock, N. and de Jager, N.
2011. 'Understanding xenophobia in South Africa'. Strategic Review for
Southern Africa, XXXIII (1):120-139.
De Jager, N. 2009. 'No
'New'ANC?' Politikon, 36 (2): 275-288.
Book Chapters
De Jager, N. and Steenekamp, C.
2018. ‘Political Radicalism: Responding to the Legitimacy Gap in South Africa’.
In Van Beek, U. (editor) Democracy under threat: A crisis of legitimacy?
Palgrave
De Jager, N. and Parkin, A.
2017. ‘Whither the ANC’s dominance? Declining dominance, rising hegemony’. In Thuynsma, H. (editor) Political
Parties. Johannesburg: HSRC and KAS.
De Jager,
N. and Adams-Jack, U. 2017. Stellenbosch University’s ‘born-frees’: Responsibly
engaged. In Lambrechts, D. and Fourie, P. Modern state development, capacity
and institutions. Stellenbosch: SUNMedia.
De Jager, N. and
Taylor, I. 2015. 'Democratic contestation in Botswana'. In Metelits, C. and
Matti, S. (editors) Democratic contestation on the margins: regimes in
small African Countries. New York: Lexington Books.
De Jager, N.
2013. 'South Africa: A democracy in the balance' in De Jager, N. and Du Toit,
P. Friend or Foe? Dominant party systems in Southern Africa: Insights
from the developing world. Tokyo, New York & Paris: United Nations
University Press and Cape Town: UCT Press.
Du Toit, P. and De Jager, N.
2013. 'Conclusion: Resources and the politics of dominant party systems' in De
Jager, N. and Du Toit, P. Friend or Foe? Dominant party systems in
Southern Africa: Insights from the developing world. Tokyo, New York
& Paris: United Nations University Press and Cape Town: UCT Press.
De Jager, N. 2010. 'Democracy
in South Africa's Dominant Party System' in Lawson, K. (editor) Political
Parties and Democracy. Santa Barbara, CA and Oxford, UK: Praeger.
Opinion Pieces in the Popular Media
'State
companies can't help development if the state is a partisan player', The
Conversation
'In
free speech debates, consider Christianity's history of liberalism', The Conversation
'Analysis: SA's national
elections since 1994', Eyewitness News
'Why elections in Botswana and
South Africa can be 'free' but not 'fair', Democracy in Africa
‘South
Africa is in danger of becoming a radicalised society- again’, The Conversation
Fellowships and Awards
Fellow
of the African-Oxford Program,
University of Oxford (2018)
Rector’s
Award for General performance (2014)
NRF
Rated Researcher (since 2014)
Andrew
Mellon Foundation Early Researcher Career Programme (MERC) (2011 -2013)
ERASMUS
MUNDUS Action 2 SAPIENT scholarship
(2011)
Golden
Key Society (since 2010)
