The Process of Democracy
Democratisation is a process through which a state or group of states becomes democratic. It is the process by which citizens gain a sense of belonging, limit the power of the state, and hold the state accountable for its actions. Throughout history, there have been various paths to democratisation. Traditionally, it is thought that a country must possess a certain level of political legitimacy, economic development, and ethnic homogeneity before it can be considered democratic. However, this is not always the case. For instance, countries such as Great Britain evolved democracy slowly over centuries. Even in countries such as Japan and Germany, which were considered to be the most repressive and ethnically homogeneous, the process took place in unexpected ways.
The most important component of any democratisation process is the citizenry. Citizens learn to hold the government accountable and organize themselves in order to solve their own problems. In turn, this reduces the burden on the state. A dense network of associations also increases social trust. When these are combined with a functioning, rule of law system, they create a stable and democratic society.
Although the origins of democratisation are debated, most experts agree that a large, educated middle class is a prerequisite for a democratic society. This middle class is interested in economic security and social stability. Furthermore, a large, educated middle class is more likely to demand a greater say in governance issues.
Historically, there have been three main waves of democratisation. First, there was the first wave, which occurred in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Second, there was the second wave, which took place in the mid-twentieth century and after World War II. These were followed by the third, which began after the breakup of the Soviet Union and continued into the present.
The “wave of democratisation” was one of the most significant changes to the international political landscape. After the end of WWII, the number of democracies rose fivefold. Today, there are more than 120 countries that qualify as democracies, compared with only 40 in 1975. Many of these countries have inherited British democratic institutions from colonialism.
The “wave of democratisation” also brought to the forefront a comparison between developing nations and industrialized nations. This brought to light a range of contrasting characteristics, including economic growth, pluralist representation, and voting. While the latter is not always a guarantee of democratisation, it has been cited as one of the most significant factors.
Some studies have shown that a small increase in the quality of democracy can increase the longevity of a democratic regime. However, this is not a universally accepted theory. Several factors contribute to the quality of a democracy, such as the level of inequality, the political and social culture, and the size of the middle class. Despite this, the “quality of democracy” is not a reliable indicator of the success of a democratisation process.
Some analysts argue that democratisation is a journey. That is, there is no clear beginning or end point. Instead, it is a gradual, slow, and conflictual process. To make sense of democratisation, researchers must examine the causes and effects of democracy-promoting mechanisms and shift their gaze from a static analysis of several cases to a dynamic analysis of transformations.
Democratisation is a process through which a state or group of states becomes democratic. It is the process by which citizens gain a sense of belonging, limit the power of the state, and hold the state accountable for its actions. Throughout history, there have been various paths to democratisation. Traditionally, it is thought that a country must possess a certain level of political legitimacy, economic development, and ethnic homogeneity before it can be considered democratic. However, this is not always the case. For instance, countries such as Great Britain evolved democracy slowly over centuries. Even in countries such as Japan and Germany, which were considered to be the most repressive and ethnically homogeneous, the process took place in unexpected ways. The most important component of any democratisation process is the citizenry. Citizens learn to hold the government accountable and organize themselves in order to solve their own problems. In turn, this reduces the burden on the state. A dense network of associations also increases social trust. When these are combined with a functioning, rule of law system, they create a stable and democratic society. Although the origins of democratisation are debated, most experts agree that a large, educated middle class is a prerequisite for a democratic society. This middle class is interested in economic security and social stability. Furthermore, a large, educated middle class is more likely to demand a greater say in governance issues. Historically, there have been three main waves of democratisation. First, there was the first wave, which occurred in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. Second, there was the second wave, which took place in the mid-twentieth century and after World War II. These were followed by the third, which began after the breakup of the Soviet Union and continued into the present. The “wave of democratisation” was one of the most significant changes to the international political landscape. After the end of WWII, the number of democracies rose fivefold. Today, there are more than 120 countries that qualify as democracies, compared with only 40 in 1975. Many of these countries have inherited British democratic institutions from colonialism. The “wave of democratisation” also brought to the forefront a comparison between developing nations and industrialized nations. This brought to light a range of contrasting characteristics, including economic growth, pluralist representation, and voting. While the latter is not always a guarantee of democratisation, it has been cited as one of the most significant factors. Some studies have shown that a small increase in the quality of democracy can increase the longevity of a democratic regime. However, this is not a universally accepted theory. Several factors contribute to the quality of a democracy, such as the level of inequality, the political and social culture, and the size of the middle class. Despite this, the “quality of democracy” is not a reliable indicator of the success of a democratisation process. Some analysts argue that democratisation is a journey. That is, there is no clear beginning or end point. Instead, it is a gradual, slow, and conflictual process. To make sense of democratisation, researchers must examine the causes and effects of democracy-promoting mechanisms and shift their gaze from a static analysis of several cases to a dynamic analysis of transformations.