Democracy and Democratisation Flashcards
What is the core principle of democracy
rule of/by the people, reflected in the Greek origins of ‘demokratia’
What does Dahl argue about the meaning of democracy
it has evolved over thousands of years creating a “jumble of theory and practices; that are often deeply inconsistent”
What does Dahl argue the reality of a democracy is
A ‘polyarchy’
What is a polyarchy
an arrangement that is neither wholly a democracy nor a dictatorship - ‘democracy with political limits’
What are features of a polyarchy
- freedom of association, expression and information
- universal suffrage
- right to stand as candidates
- free and fair elections
What is a procedural democracy
focuses on the procedures and set rules, ensuring everyone gets a say and that elections are free and fair
What is a substantive democracy
focuses on the outcomes of procedures, making sure that they reflect the will of the people and lead to equal rights/social justice
What does Larry Diamond 1999 say substantive democracies must contain
- free and fair elections
- the active participation of the people
- protection of the human rights of all citizens
- rule of law
What are the ‘waves of democratisation’ by Samuel Huntington
a group of transitions from non-democratic to democratic political systems that occurs within a specific time period that significantly outnumbers transitions in the opposite direction during that period
when was the first wave of democratisation
1928-1922
what was the feature of the first wave, and what countries established democratic institutions
- transitions were slow, democracy was more an outcome than an intention. EG: expansion of suffrage in the UK occurred gradually
- nearly 30 countries, Britain, France, US, Argentina
what was the first ‘reverse’ wave of democracy
collapse of new European democracies due to fascist, communist or militant dictatorships between 1922-42
when was the second wave of democratisation
1943-1962
what did the second wave of democracy do and what were the features
restored democracy in Europe and saw political parties playing a key role in this transitions, changing the attitude from seeing parties as a source of faction to a source of progress
when was the second reverse wave and why was it caused
1958-1975, due to democratic breakdown in Latin America, Africa, Asia, Greece
Third wave of democracy
transformed the global political landscape. and provided an inhospitable environment for non-democratic political systems that survived
what were the roles of external forces in the third wave
- European community: key actor in consolidating democracy in southern Europe, making it seem necessary to secure economic benefits of the EC
- withdrawal of soviet power
- 1970s-80s: US was a major promoter of democratisation
What is the issue of snowballing in relation to democratisation
social and economic conditions that were favourable to democracy were not present everywhere meaning whilst the ‘external’ environment is created it does not produce the conditions necessary for democratisation in a certain country - EG: eastern EU, major obstacle was Soviet control
What are the four stages of democratisation
- liberalisation
- transition
- consolidation (widespread acceptance)
- deepening
what are the three theories that explain democratisation
economic, cultural and bargaining
What is the economic theory (Using Lipset 1959)
‘the more well-to-do a nation, the greater chances it will sustain democracy’ - democracy is related to the state of economic development
what do economic theorists argue about modernisation
‘modernisation theory’ - as countries become wealthier, the economy transforms with the dominance of the large industry and service sector
what are the two hypothesis of the economic theory
- wealth correlates with democracy, commonality between the raising GDP and the decreasing likelihood of dictatorships
- democratic survival, transitions to dictatorships become less likely as wealth increases
Who provides evidence to both economic hypothesis
Prezworski et al
What is the cultural theory
some countries have cultures that compliment democracy more
What does Putnam 1993 argue about cultural theory
“some countries are blessed with vibrant networks and norms of civic engagement, while others are cursed with vertically structured politics” - these differences explain institutional (democracy) success
what are the two hypothesis of the cultural theory
- classic cultural theory, democracy is more common in some cultures which support democratic values - confucian countries, some of orthodox Europe
- cultural modernisation theory, economic development leads to cultural change which in turn leads to democracy - eg. Protestant/Catholic europe, english speaking countries
What do Inglehart and Welzel argue about cultural modernisation theory
economic development creates ‘emancipative’ cultures that support democratic protest, moves countries away from traditional values of respecting authority to values emphasising the importance of self-expression as more affluence means people no longer need to focus on survival
What is the bargaining theory
change in economic development/inequality affects the balance of power between social groups and political actors
what are the hypothesis of bargaining theory
- credible commitment, elites in non-democracies cannot commit to redistribute wealth
- wealth inequality, higher WI raises the risk of democracy for non-democratic elites
- economic shocks, lead to transitions to democracy
What is Huntingtons ‘clash of civilisations’
the idea that future global conflicts will be driven by cultural and civilisational differences
what are the key civilisations identified by Huntington
- Western
- Islamic
- Sinic (chinese)
- Hindu
- Orthodox
- Latin American
- African
How does civilisation link to democracy
democracy is associated with western civilisation, due to rooted values such as individualism, liberalism, secular governance and human rights
What are the levels of democracy across civilisations
- High: western
- Moderate: Latin america, Eastern Europe, democratic structures coexist with historical or cultural legacies
- Low/alternatives: Islamic and Sinic civilisations, governance prioritise collective stability, religious principles or authoritarian views
What do Inglehart and Norris identify in ‘Islamic culture and democracy’
there is minimal difference between the islamic world and the West, in relation to different political values, and there is support for democratic values in Islamic countries - however ‘sexual revolution’ in the west can be used to identify the different cultural views to strengthen the clash of civilisations
