Democratisation and the Challenges it Faces
Democratisation, the process by which countries transition from autocracy to a form of democracy, is an important and highly debated subject in political science. There are two broad schools of thought, one emphasizing favourable structural conditions and the other arguing for elite choice. Each approach has its advantages and drawbacks.
The first view emphasizes the importance of economic growth in facilitating democratization, arguing that it produces an educated and active middle class with an interest in demanding greater influence over governance issues. This argument has been criticized for being overly teleological and deterministic, but it is still the predominant view.
There is also the view that the success of democracy depends on the ability of different groups within society to cooperate. This requires a level of mutual trust and tolerance that is often difficult to generate during periods of intractable conflict. However, this view has been criticised for assuming that democracy cannot be introduced into societies where ethnic tensions and other historical sources of intractable conflict persist.
Finally, the view that a democratic regime is more likely to be resilient to reversion to dictatorship than an authoritarian regime is based on the assumption that the more consolidated and mature a democracy is, the more resistant it will be to reversal. This argument has been criticized for being too teleological and deterministic, but there is some truth to it in that the quality of democracy is related to its longevity.
Some commentators have begun to question the value of democracy, especially as its institutions and processes seem increasingly unstable and prone to seismic shifts (e.g. Brexit, the election of demagogues in Europe). But despite this unease, democracy remains widely accepted as a legitimate form of government and a desirable goal for most countries.
Nevertheless, it is not surprising that people are asking whether the institutions and practices of democracy can be adapted to meet the challenges of technological change, demographic shifts and other forces acting to disrupt the stability of established democracies. The answer to this question will depend on how willing the global community is to make fundamental changes to the way in which it organizes itself and relates to its citizens.
Although there is no consensus on exactly what those changes should look like, most analysts agree that the key is to create a broad civil society where diverse social and political groups can interact with each other and hold public authorities accountable. This is crucial for the creation of a culture of democratic norms and values that can serve as an environment for the protection and realization of human rights. This is not a purely technical task and will require the commitment of governments, donors and international institutions to build an enabling architecture at the national and global levels. Only then will there be a credible chance of establishing democratic states that can provide for the dignity and security of all their citizens. This is the challenge that faces us today.
Democratisation, the process by which countries transition from autocracy to a form of democracy, is an important and highly debated subject in political science. There are two broad schools of thought, one emphasizing favourable structural conditions and the other arguing for elite choice. Each approach has its advantages and drawbacks. The first view emphasizes the importance of economic growth in facilitating democratization, arguing that it produces an educated and active middle class with an interest in demanding greater influence over governance issues. This argument has been criticized for being overly teleological and deterministic, but it is still the predominant view. There is also the view that the success of democracy depends on the ability of different groups within society to cooperate. This requires a level of mutual trust and tolerance that is often difficult to generate during periods of intractable conflict. However, this view has been criticised for assuming that democracy cannot be introduced into societies where ethnic tensions and other historical sources of intractable conflict persist. Finally, the view that a democratic regime is more likely to be resilient to reversion to dictatorship than an authoritarian regime is based on the assumption that the more consolidated and mature a democracy is, the more resistant it will be to reversal. This argument has been criticized for being too teleological and deterministic, but there is some truth to it in that the quality of democracy is related to its longevity. Some commentators have begun to question the value of democracy, especially as its institutions and processes seem increasingly unstable and prone to seismic shifts (e.g. Brexit, the election of demagogues in Europe). But despite this unease, democracy remains widely accepted as a legitimate form of government and a desirable goal for most countries. Nevertheless, it is not surprising that people are asking whether the institutions and practices of democracy can be adapted to meet the challenges of technological change, demographic shifts and other forces acting to disrupt the stability of established democracies. The answer to this question will depend on how willing the global community is to make fundamental changes to the way in which it organizes itself and relates to its citizens. Although there is no consensus on exactly what those changes should look like, most analysts agree that the key is to create a broad civil society where diverse social and political groups can interact with each other and hold public authorities accountable. This is crucial for the creation of a culture of democratic norms and values that can serve as an environment for the protection and realization of human rights. This is not a purely technical task and will require the commitment of governments, donors and international institutions to build an enabling architecture at the national and global levels. Only then will there be a credible chance of establishing democratic states that can provide for the dignity and security of all their citizens. This is the challenge that faces us today.