Trajectories from Communism - State building Flashcards
According to O’Donnell and Schmitter, how does democracy emerge as a “pact” between relatively equal political groups, and what are the key characteristics of such a transition?
Democracy in cooperative transitions emerges as a result of negotiations and compromise between elites from both the authoritarian regime and opposition groups. These pacts focus on limiting radical changes, dividing benefits proportionally, and stabilizing the transition. Such transitions often include guarantees for the outgoing elites, like amnesty or protection of interests, to ensure a smooth, gradual shift toward democratic governance.
How do democratic pacts in cooperative transitions limit political change and restrict radicalism, and what is the impact on long-term democratization?
Democratic pacts limit change by focusing on incremental reforms rather than radical transformations. This approach ensures stability and mitigates the risk of violent conflict. By dividing benefits proportionally and ensuring that elites maintain some power or protections, these pacts prevent extreme shifts and allow for gradual, stable democratization, leading to stronger institutions and more durable democracies.
How does McFaul’s non-cooperative theory of democratization differ from cooperative theories, and what conditions make a non-cooperative transition more likely?
McFaul’s non-cooperative theory states that democracy emerges from revolution, where one group (opposition), forces political change unilaterally, not through negotiations.
More likely to happen when there is an imbalance of power favoring pro-democracy groups, leading to mass protests, violent conflict, or revolution, without elite negotiations.
What are the outcomes of non-cooperative transitions, and why do they tend to result in weaker democratic institutions?
Non-cooperative transitions often result in abrupt power shifts, leading to weak political institutions and unstable democracies. Without negotiated agreements, the new political order may struggle to build stable governance structures, making it vulnerable to authoritarian backlash or internal conflict. (Rose Revolution in Georgia 2003)
According to Kuzio (2002), How does the Soviet legacy impact nation-building in post-Soviet states?
The Soviet Union suppressed national identities, necessitating a reconstruction of pre-Soviet histories to foster distinct national identities in post-Soviet states.
According to Kuzio (2002), What is “memory politics,” and how is it used in post-Soviet nation-building?
Memory politics involves using historical narratives, such as commemorating resistance to Soviet rule, to legitimize current states and foster national unity.
According to Kuzio, What challenges arise from differing interpretations of history in nation-building?
Competing historical narratives can create divisions, especially among ethnic minorities, complicating efforts to establish a cohesive national identity.
What are the three components of the “triple transition” in post-Soviet countries?
Political reform, economic reform, and nation-state building.
How does McFaul’s non-cooperative theory differ from older theories?
McFaul argues that democracy results from revolutionary transitions where democratic challengers hold significant power, not from negotiated pacts.
What distinguishes hegemonic democrats from hegemonic autocrats?
Hegemonic democrats manipulate democratic systems to stay in power for a long time.
Hegemonic autocrats use authoritarian tactics to stay in power for a long time.
What factors contributed to a stalemated transition in Moldova?
A balance of power between old elites and challengers, lack of widespread societal support for the Moldovan Popular Front, and contentious constitutional changes in 2000.
How did ethnic mobilization affect transitions in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia compared to Moldova and Georgia?
In the Baltics (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia), ethnic mobilization focused on peaceful, inclusive nationalism, avoiding violence and supporting smooth democratic transitions.
These countries had significant ethnic Russian populations, but the leadership successfully framed the independence movement as a peaceful, inclusive process
In Moldova and Georgia, ethnic tensions over regions like Transnistria, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia led to violent conflicts, making their transitions more unstable. (eg, In Moldova, the struggle over the status of the Russian-speaking region of Transnistria led to an armed conflict)
How did the fourth wave of democratization affect post-Soviet countries, and what were the main challenges they faced?
The fourth wave of democratization brought attempts at democracy to many post-Soviet countries, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
However, they faced challenges like:
- weak political institutions
- corruption
- struggles between old elites and new political forces.
Some countries succeeded in becoming more democratic, while others faced authoritarian backslides or political instability.
What was “shock therapy,” and where did it succeed?
Shock therapy involved rapid market liberalization, withdrawal of state subsidies, and trade liberalization. It succeeded in Poland but caused hardships in other post-Soviet states.
How did Yeltsin’s reforms reshape the Russian economy?
Reforms included price liberalization, financial stabilization attempts, and introduced the loans-for-shares scheme in 1995. This controversial program allowed private investors to take control of key state-owned industries in exchange for loans to the government. The scheme is often associated with the rise of Russia’s oligarchs, as it gave a small group of wealthy businessmen significant influence over the economy.
