Democratisation
Democracy is a political form characterized by public participation and contestation, democratic legitimacy, and representative government. While scholars debate the meaning and importance of democracy, there is broad consensus that it has been a major factor in the emergence of modern nations and in their subsequent development. There are also many important questions concerning how a democracy can best be established, sustained, and improved.
Although democratisation has become the prevailing political ideal in most of the world, most states do not fully satisfy the criteria for full democracy. However, it is important to remember that even states with a minimally democratic system of government have the right and duty to work towards a more functional democracy.
In general, the most successful democratic transitions involve a process of pro-democratic civil society changes leading to procedural democracy and then eventually to substantive democracy. It is generally agreed that this sequence of developments has to be accompanied by the development of the institutions and value systems that support stable peace and cooperation. These are not easy to develop in societies that have experienced extended periods of intractable conflict, but there are a number of notable examples including South Africa, where Nelson Mandela served as president of the former white minority regime alongside his fellow black former President, F. W. de Klerk, in 1994.
Several different patterns of democratic transition have been identified, reflecting differences in the role of elites and masses in confronting the authoritarian state, the degree to which the democratic opposition is coopted or consolidated by members of the old ruling class, and the speed at which the new regime breaks dramatically with the old one. Democratization theorists have tried to identify conditions that might explain these variations, but it is difficult to construct a model of democratisation that explains all the cases.
There is a growing recognition that a key determinant of democratisation is the existence of a large middle class, which is capable of supporting both pro-democratic forces and a democratic state. The creation of this middle class is usually associated with an increase in economic growth and with the emergence of a market economy. It is also viewed as a stabilizing force that can moderate the democratic impulses of the mass population and encourage politicians to pay more attention to the concerns of the poorer sections of the population.
A natural extension of the democratic process has been the expansion of public programs that promote the interests of poorer members of the population, such as social security and education. It is generally accepted that these programs promote a more equitable distribution of resources and help to reduce poverty and inequality. The effect of these programs on democratisation is less clear cut, though; for example, Keller (2006) finds that secondary education enrolment has a strong positive impact on democratisation in developed OECD member countries, while Acemoglu et al. find that, in general, education has a very modest impact on democratisation.
Democracy is a political form characterized by public participation and contestation, democratic legitimacy, and representative government. While scholars debate the meaning and importance of democracy, there is broad consensus that it has been a major factor in the emergence of modern nations and in their subsequent development. There are also many important questions concerning how a democracy can best be established, sustained, and improved. Although democratisation has become the prevailing political ideal in most of the world, most states do not fully satisfy the criteria for full democracy. However, it is important to remember that even states with a minimally democratic system of government have the right and duty to work towards a more functional democracy. In general, the most successful democratic transitions involve a process of pro-democratic civil society changes leading to procedural democracy and then eventually to substantive democracy. It is generally agreed that this sequence of developments has to be accompanied by the development of the institutions and value systems that support stable peace and cooperation. These are not easy to develop in societies that have experienced extended periods of intractable conflict, but there are a number of notable examples including South Africa, where Nelson Mandela served as president of the former white minority regime alongside his fellow black former President, F. W. de Klerk, in 1994. Several different patterns of democratic transition have been identified, reflecting differences in the role of elites and masses in confronting the authoritarian state, the degree to which the democratic opposition is coopted or consolidated by members of the old ruling class, and the speed at which the new regime breaks dramatically with the old one. Democratization theorists have tried to identify conditions that might explain these variations, but it is difficult to construct a model of democratisation that explains all the cases. There is a growing recognition that a key determinant of democratisation is the existence of a large middle class, which is capable of supporting both pro-democratic forces and a democratic state. The creation of this middle class is usually associated with an increase in economic growth and with the emergence of a market economy. It is also viewed as a stabilizing force that can moderate the democratic impulses of the mass population and encourage politicians to pay more attention to the concerns of the poorer sections of the population. A natural extension of the democratic process has been the expansion of public programs that promote the interests of poorer members of the population, such as social security and education. It is generally accepted that these programs promote a more equitable distribution of resources and help to reduce poverty and inequality. The effect of these programs on democratisation is less clear cut, though; for example, Keller (2006) finds that secondary education enrolment has a strong positive impact on democratisation in developed OECD member countries, while Acemoglu et al. find that, in general, education has a very modest impact on democratisation.