To what extent are party systems in Sub-Saharan Africa institutionalized? This question has been answered in the past; I argue, however, that the type of measurement used for that purpose does not fully tap into the different arenas and properties of systemic institutionalization nor it considers its variance in terms of quantity and quality. Thus, I propose a partly new framework for analysis. It considers (I) institutionalization as a multidimensional concept clustering both attitudinal and structural behaviors that should be separately assessed; (II) the institutionalization of parties as different from that of party systems; (iii) the different territorial levels (national and subnational) and arenas of competition (electoral, legislative, governmental) across which a party system might be institutionalized and finally (IV) it measures institutionalization in terms of quantity and quality.

The application of this partly new measure of institutionalization to national party systems of 19 Sub-Saharan African countries, which have held consecutive and competitive lower house elections between 1966 and 2011, demonstrates that party systems vary in level and quality of institutionalization and that in most instances the quantity does not meet the quality of institutionalization. Overall party systems in Africa face dilemmas of institutionalization.