Challenges to Democracy
While many of the challenges to democratisation stem from a country’s authoritarian past, a few examples point to the potential of democracy to develop societies. In Tanzania, for example, local political leaders and pastoralist organisations were controlled by the state, reducing their effectiveness. Local bureaucrats and politicians fought among themselves for personal gains, jeopardising development. Although these examples have been cited in a number of other countries, Tanzania’s challenges to democracy demonstrate the need for a more effective form of democracy.
Democracies need to evolve over time. The process of democratisation is never smooth or linear, but it must proceed in accordance with the desired level of social and political maturity. Democracies cannot work in an environment where a majority of citizens does not understand the concepts, values, and practices of democracy. If democratisation is not accompanied by social and political development, a country may face a potentially dangerous transitional phase that cannot be fully sustained.
Economic development leads to many changes in a country. Economic development, such as urbanisation, is a significant contributor to democratisation. Economic development often coincides with increased access to education and increased awareness of human rights. These developments are difficult for authoritarian figures to counter since they want their countries’ capital to stay put. Increasing education leads to a greater understanding of human rights and, in turn, democratisation movements. For this reason, increasing development is often closely linked to increases in education.
Despite a wide range of definitions, democracy is often defined as a system where the people in a country can participate in decision-making, and are able to form their own government. In the United States, the term ‘old’ democracies includes the United States, Britain, France, and many countries that followed after World War II. Though the term ‘democracy’ is often used to refer to a specific political system, it is usually applied to an entire society.
As a result of increasing democratisation, technology is more accessible to citizens. Moreover, it opens up new possibilities and opportunities. Through this, ordinary people can earn money online, promote their business, and invent new products and services. This process has made dreams attainable for many people. The rate of technological advancement is unprecedented, and it is expected to keep growing at a rapid pace. Despite the challenges faced, people everywhere benefit from the democratisation of technology.
In Tanzania, democratic institutions aided development by establishing a democratic structure. Tanzania’s first president, Julius Nyerere, led a reform movement that was based on local development and bottom-up democratisation. However, under the subsequent Ujamaa regime, democratic values were eroded and a socialist government emerged. Many people lost confidence in the state and began to favour the elite. For example, the government’s ability to promote development was undermined when citizens began to oppose the regime’s policies.
Democratisation of technology has been particularly positive for the entertainment industry. Since more people are now able to access these tools, industry development has become more rapid. And amateur developers and entrepreneurs are now able to create their own products. In this way, the democratisation of technology has brought about many previously impossible things to achieve. Despite this, democracy can’t guarantee economic growth. And even if democracy is promoting growth, it can also have a negative effect.
While many of the challenges to democratisation stem from a country’s authoritarian past, a few examples point to the potential of democracy to develop societies. In Tanzania, for example, local political leaders and pastoralist organisations were controlled by the state, reducing their effectiveness. Local bureaucrats and politicians fought among themselves for personal gains, jeopardising development. Although these examples have been cited in a number of other countries, Tanzania’s challenges to democracy demonstrate the need for a more effective form of democracy. Democracies need to evolve over time. The process of democratisation is never smooth or linear, but it must proceed in accordance with the desired level of social and political maturity. Democracies cannot work in an environment where a majority of citizens does not understand the concepts, values, and practices of democracy. If democratisation is not accompanied by social and political development, a country may face a potentially dangerous transitional phase that cannot be fully sustained. Economic development leads to many changes in a country. Economic development, such as urbanisation, is a significant contributor to democratisation. Economic development often coincides with increased access to education and increased awareness of human rights. These developments are difficult for authoritarian figures to counter since they want their countries’ capital to stay put. Increasing education leads to a greater understanding of human rights and, in turn, democratisation movements. For this reason, increasing development is often closely linked to increases in education. Despite a wide range of definitions, democracy is often defined as a system where the people in a country can participate in decision-making, and are able to form their own government. In the United States, the term ‘old’ democracies includes the United States, Britain, France, and many countries that followed after World War II. Though the term ‘democracy’ is often used to refer to a specific political system, it is usually applied to an entire society. As a result of increasing democratisation, technology is more accessible to citizens. Moreover, it opens up new possibilities and opportunities. Through this, ordinary people can earn money online, promote their business, and invent new products and services. This process has made dreams attainable for many people. The rate of technological advancement is unprecedented, and it is expected to keep growing at a rapid pace. Despite the challenges faced, people everywhere benefit from the democratisation of technology. In Tanzania, democratic institutions aided development by establishing a democratic structure. Tanzania’s first president, Julius Nyerere, led a reform movement that was based on local development and bottom-up democratisation. However, under the subsequent Ujamaa regime, democratic values were eroded and a socialist government emerged. Many people lost confidence in the state and began to favour the elite. For example, the government’s ability to promote development was undermined when citizens began to oppose the regime’s policies. Democratisation of technology has been particularly positive for the entertainment industry. Since more people are now able to access these tools, industry development has become more rapid. And amateur developers and entrepreneurs are now able to create their own products. In this way, the democratisation of technology has brought about many previously impossible things to achieve. Despite this, democracy can’t guarantee economic growth. And even if democracy is promoting growth, it can also have a negative effect.