The Process of Democracisation
The idea that democracy is the most important step towards social development has been the subject of extensive research in recent years. The Boix (2003) model of democratisation explains early democratisations in Western Europe and Latin America, while Acemoglu/Robinson’s model of democracy has been used in many transitions from authoritarian to democratic regimes in Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. These models are useful in describing early democratisations, but also in analyzing recent struggles to democratize these countries.
Although there is no unified process for democratisation, most agree that gradual change is best. In Great Britain, for example, democracy emerged slowly, with the non-governing elite demanding an extension of voting rights while the lower classes began to chip away at the ruling class. However, not all democratisation is gradual and some may even appear revolutionary. Regardless of the mode used, the process has many benefits, and the ultimate goal of democratic change is to make society as free and equal as possible.
While democratisation cannot lead to substantive democracy, it is essential for subjected societies to go through certain stages of development. Achieving procedural democracy is necessary for the survival of democracy, and the advancement of the next phase of development depends on the achievement of the previous ones. In a case where there is a winning coalition, expanding the coalition will increase its power. The tipping point will be when the coalition is larger than the population. When this happens, democracy will eventually follow.
It is essential to understand that democratisation cannot be imposed from the outside, especially when the conditions are not conducive. The Japanese, for example, were highly homogenous and democratisation did not take place, and Germany’s total defeat was an unfortunate consequence. Further, democratisation takes time to consolidate, even in countries that have been deemed successful. Similarly, the success of East Timor has been overstated.
It is difficult to determine how much the average citizen can do to promote democratisation. There are many ways to get involved in the political process of their own country and advocate policies that aid democracy. Advance industrialised democracies have built grassroots support for their ethical foreign policy. People in developing countries can join civil-society organizations that advocate for democratic change. Despite the complexity of this process, a successful democratic transition should be accompanied by sustainable economic development.
There are numerous theoretical models of democratisation, but none of them fully explains the processes of democratisation. However, in the majority of cases, international influences have played a role. For example, Gleditsch and Choun find that Catholicism reduces the prospects of democratization before the Vatican II. While this relationship between democratisation and economic development is not causal, it is important to understand the dynamics behind democratisation.
In contrast, Weingast’s (2005) ideas may be useful for understanding democratisation on the African continent. Among these are the idea that political officials have incentives to honour constitutional provisions and that citizens have resolving differences over the rights of citizens. The last is the idea that citizens are able to act together in a coordinated way to resist threats to their rights. These ideas are useful in interpreting democratisation in Africa, but are not exhaustive enough.
The idea that democracy is the most important step towards social development has been the subject of extensive research in recent years. The Boix (2003) model of democratisation explains early democratisations in Western Europe and Latin America, while Acemoglu/Robinson’s model of democracy has been used in many transitions from authoritarian to democratic regimes in Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. These models are useful in describing early democratisations, but also in analyzing recent struggles to democratize these countries. Although there is no unified process for democratisation, most agree that gradual change is best. In Great Britain, for example, democracy emerged slowly, with the non-governing elite demanding an extension of voting rights while the lower classes began to chip away at the ruling class. However, not all democratisation is gradual and some may even appear revolutionary. Regardless of the mode used, the process has many benefits, and the ultimate goal of democratic change is to make society as free and equal as possible. While democratisation cannot lead to substantive democracy, it is essential for subjected societies to go through certain stages of development. Achieving procedural democracy is necessary for the survival of democracy, and the advancement of the next phase of development depends on the achievement of the previous ones. In a case where there is a winning coalition, expanding the coalition will increase its power. The tipping point will be when the coalition is larger than the population. When this happens, democracy will eventually follow. It is essential to understand that democratisation cannot be imposed from the outside, especially when the conditions are not conducive. The Japanese, for example, were highly homogenous and democratisation did not take place, and Germany’s total defeat was an unfortunate consequence. Further, democratisation takes time to consolidate, even in countries that have been deemed successful. Similarly, the success of East Timor has been overstated. It is difficult to determine how much the average citizen can do to promote democratisation. There are many ways to get involved in the political process of their own country and advocate policies that aid democracy. Advance industrialised democracies have built grassroots support for their ethical foreign policy. People in developing countries can join civil-society organizations that advocate for democratic change. Despite the complexity of this process, a successful democratic transition should be accompanied by sustainable economic development. There are numerous theoretical models of democratisation, but none of them fully explains the processes of democratisation. However, in the majority of cases, international influences have played a role. For example, Gleditsch and Choun find that Catholicism reduces the prospects of democratization before the Vatican II. While this relationship between democratisation and economic development is not causal, it is important to understand the dynamics behind democratisation. In contrast, Weingast’s (2005) ideas may be useful for understanding democratisation on the African continent. Among these are the idea that political officials have incentives to honour constitutional provisions and that citizens have resolving differences over the rights of citizens. The last is the idea that citizens are able to act together in a coordinated way to resist threats to their rights. These ideas are useful in interpreting democratisation in Africa, but are not exhaustive enough.