L3 - NonDemocratic & Hybrid Regimes

Question 1

What are 3 main characteristics of rulers in Non-Democratic Regimes?

Answer 1

• Selected in a non-competitive process.
• NOT accountable to the citizens.
• NOT subject to the rule of law and other constitutional constraints.

(These traits affect the process of democratization)

Question 2

What are the 3 stages of Democratization Process?

Answer 2

• Liberalization
• Transition
• Democratic Consolidation

Question 3

What are 3 types of Non-Democratic Regimes?

Answer 3

Totalitarian (Totalitarian regimes are a thing of the past (the 1960s), with North Korea being the only regime remaining)

Authoritarian
Sultanistic

Question 4

How do these regimes differ

Answer 4

Degree of Pluralism - non existent
Type of Mobilization - extensive and intensive (usually not existence) prefer society to be silent
Type of Leadership - undefined limits

Question 5

What are Sultanistic (Neo- Patrimonial) Regimes?

Answer 5

non-democratic regimes with:
1.Highly personalistic leadership
2. No extensive mobilization
3. Some pluralism but subject to despotic intervention

Question 6

What is the definition of Hybrid Regimes

(Competitive or Electoral Authoritarian Regime)

Answer 6

Levitsky and Way (2010): “civilian regimes in which formal democratic institutions exist but… They are not democratic because the playing field is heavily skewed in favor of incumbents.”

Examples of Hybrid Regimes Country: , Malawi (Africa ) , Nepal (Asia), Moldova, Turkey, Hungary (Europe) , Honduras (Latin America)

Question 7

What are the two main features of Hybrid Regimes?

Answer 7

• Elections but no alternation in power: Those in power stay in power at every election due to the manipulation power it exercises on the citizens. (ex: Cameroon)
• Limited restraint in the exercise of executive power; some rule of law/constitution, but frequent violations with leaders getting away with it).

Question 8

What are the Mechanisms of rule:

Answer 8

1). Strategic Constitutional & Administrative Manipulation:
- Manipulation of existing rules and institution to stifle opposition
- Example: Hungary’s selective usage of rules to drive out the Central European University

2) Politicization of the State and its Institution:
- Placing political allies in positions of power or otherwise manipulating institutions
- Ex: Turnover of state secretaries in Hungary

3) Patronage and Clientelism: A mechanism by which voters and elites are offered material incentives to support the regime
- Most crudely: by vote-buying
- Or more subtly: pyramid structures like those in Russia that make clients of regional leaders, who then make clients of the blocs and people under them