Defining and Measuring Democracy
Democratisation is the process through which a political regime becomes democratic. It is a complex process that can be difficult to define and that requires a number of important conditions to be in place before it will be possible to observe democratization.
Despite the increasing interest in democratisation by scholars, policy makers and activists around the world, there are still many disagreements regarding how to define it and how to best measure its success. Some scholars mark democratisation as the period between the breakdown of an authoritarian regime and the conclusion of the first democratic national elections, while others identify earlier starting points, such as the initiation of liberal reforms by an authoritarian regime or structural changes that weaken an authoritarian regime enough for opposition groups to push for democratic reforms.
A wide range of factors can promote democratisation, including economic development, education levels, government policies, and social change. However, there are also important constraints on democratisation. These include cultural norms, political culture, political institutions, and government capacity.
Economic development can promote democratisation by enhancing citizens’ awareness of the political process and enabling them to be more active in it. In addition, education can play an important role by increasing citizens’ understanding of politics and by helping them to be more critical of their governments.
Socioeconomic conditions can also influence democratisation by fostering the development of civic and civil societies, by encouraging citizens to take part in political processes and by generating public pressure for change. Nevertheless, the transition from authoritarianism to democracy can be a long and complicated one that requires a great deal of social and economic reform.
The most common approach to democratization is the favourable-conditions approach, which focuses on the effects of a wide variety of political, social and economic factors that can make a country more likely to become democratic. This approach can be useful for providing detailed explanations of democratization in particular countries, but it can be challenging to create general models of democratization that capture the complexity of the process.
Another important approach to democratization is the elite-choice theory, which emphasizes the power of elites and their political choices over the course of a nation’s history. This theory can explain democratization in a more concise way than the favourable-conditions approach, but it lacks the depth of structural explanations.
A third alternative is to look at the impact of individual actions, such as the use of violence against politicians or the extent to which people support candidates in elections. This approach is more relevant to the emergence of democracies in poorer nations, where the lack of political activism is a major barrier to the rise of democracy.
These alternatives all share the view that the emergence of a democratic regime depends on the willingness and ability of the population to resist authoritarian rule. Those who are most willing to challenge an authoritarian regime are often able to do so by forming and supporting social movements that can erode the legitimacy of the old system.
Democratisation is the process through which a political regime becomes democratic. It is a complex process that can be difficult to define and that requires a number of important conditions to be in place before it will be possible to observe democratization. Despite the increasing interest in democratisation by scholars, policy makers and activists around the world, there are still many disagreements regarding how to define it and how to best measure its success. Some scholars mark democratisation as the period between the breakdown of an authoritarian regime and the conclusion of the first democratic national elections, while others identify earlier starting points, such as the initiation of liberal reforms by an authoritarian regime or structural changes that weaken an authoritarian regime enough for opposition groups to push for democratic reforms. A wide range of factors can promote democratisation, including economic development, education levels, government policies, and social change. However, there are also important constraints on democratisation. These include cultural norms, political culture, political institutions, and government capacity. Economic development can promote democratisation by enhancing citizens’ awareness of the political process and enabling them to be more active in it. In addition, education can play an important role by increasing citizens’ understanding of politics and by helping them to be more critical of their governments. Socioeconomic conditions can also influence democratisation by fostering the development of civic and civil societies, by encouraging citizens to take part in political processes and by generating public pressure for change. Nevertheless, the transition from authoritarianism to democracy can be a long and complicated one that requires a great deal of social and economic reform. The most common approach to democratization is the favourable-conditions approach, which focuses on the effects of a wide variety of political, social and economic factors that can make a country more likely to become democratic. This approach can be useful for providing detailed explanations of democratization in particular countries, but it can be challenging to create general models of democratization that capture the complexity of the process. Another important approach to democratization is the elite-choice theory, which emphasizes the power of elites and their political choices over the course of a nation’s history. This theory can explain democratization in a more concise way than the favourable-conditions approach, but it lacks the depth of structural explanations. A third alternative is to look at the impact of individual actions, such as the use of violence against politicians or the extent to which people support candidates in elections. This approach is more relevant to the emergence of democracies in poorer nations, where the lack of political activism is a major barrier to the rise of democracy. These alternatives all share the view that the emergence of a democratic regime depends on the willingness and ability of the population to resist authoritarian rule. Those who are most willing to challenge an authoritarian regime are often able to do so by forming and supporting social movements that can erode the legitimacy of the old system.