The Process of Democracy
The explosion of democracy across the world since the mid-20th century has shifted the balance of power in international politics and dramatically changed the nature of international relations. The process through which a political regime becomes democratic, known as democratisation, is one of the most important and enduring questions in modern politics.
The term ‘Democratisation’ encapsulates the idea of the spread of democracy through processes of political change, but it also refers to a broad set of societal changes that accompany or precede it. These include economic development, education and conflict resolution. The aim of democratisation is the creation of democratic institutions and value systems that make it possible to resolve societal conflicts without resorting to violence. In the long run this makes it easier to create stable democracies and reduce the need for foreign intervention.
Despite the widespread acclaim for democracy, there are many obstacles to its spread. The democratisation process is a highly complex phenomenon, involving numerous actors and often taking decades to complete. It requires a significant shift in the way that we understand the nature of human society and the processes through which societies develop. A key challenge for democratisation theory is to move beyond identifying necessary and sufficient conditions for democracy and toward the systematic study of causal sequences that constitute paths to it. This will require analysts to map a range of processes, including social movements, societal changes and the emergence of favourable structural conditions that are conducive to democratic polities.
While there is little consensus on the exact conditions that are essential for democratisation, most observers agree that a democratic political culture is a prerequisite. This encompasses a wide range of attitudes and values, including a tolerance for diversity, a commitment to civil rights, a sense that all citizens are equally valuable, and a willingness to compromise and cooperate with others. A strong civic culture is also believed to be necessary for promoting political participation.
A third essential element is the absence of deep-rooted, endemic, and unresolved conflict within a society. This may be the most difficult of all obstacles to democratisation, but it can often be overcome through a process of ‘democratic peace’, which involves fostering mutual respect, a willingness to compromise and a shared understanding that democracy is the only legitimate means of resolving political disputes.
Finally, there is a widespread belief that a democratic political culture is best promoted by developing dense networks of voluntary associations that promote democratic behaviour and values. These can include religious organisations, ethnic groups and professional associations that help to develop a level of moderation that prevents political conflicts from spiralling out of control.
A growing number of scholars are focusing on a combination of these factors in explaining the emergence and growth of democracy. This approach draws on a range of theories, including those that emphasise the importance of favourable structural conditions and those that emphasize elite choice. Both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. The favourable-conditions approach allows for detailed explanation of specific cases, but may lead to a lengthy list of relevant factors, while the elite-choice approach is more concise but lacks the richness of structural explanations.
The explosion of democracy across the world since the mid-20th century has shifted the balance of power in international politics and dramatically changed the nature of international relations. The process through which a political regime becomes democratic, known as democratisation, is one of the most important and enduring questions in modern politics. The term ‘Democratisation’ encapsulates the idea of the spread of democracy through processes of political change, but it also refers to a broad set of societal changes that accompany or precede it. These include economic development, education and conflict resolution. The aim of democratisation is the creation of democratic institutions and value systems that make it possible to resolve societal conflicts without resorting to violence. In the long run this makes it easier to create stable democracies and reduce the need for foreign intervention. Despite the widespread acclaim for democracy, there are many obstacles to its spread. The democratisation process is a highly complex phenomenon, involving numerous actors and often taking decades to complete. It requires a significant shift in the way that we understand the nature of human society and the processes through which societies develop. A key challenge for democratisation theory is to move beyond identifying necessary and sufficient conditions for democracy and toward the systematic study of causal sequences that constitute paths to it. This will require analysts to map a range of processes, including social movements, societal changes and the emergence of favourable structural conditions that are conducive to democratic polities. While there is little consensus on the exact conditions that are essential for democratisation, most observers agree that a democratic political culture is a prerequisite. This encompasses a wide range of attitudes and values, including a tolerance for diversity, a commitment to civil rights, a sense that all citizens are equally valuable, and a willingness to compromise and cooperate with others. A strong civic culture is also believed to be necessary for promoting political participation. A third essential element is the absence of deep-rooted, endemic, and unresolved conflict within a society. This may be the most difficult of all obstacles to democratisation, but it can often be overcome through a process of ‘democratic peace’, which involves fostering mutual respect, a willingness to compromise and a shared understanding that democracy is the only legitimate means of resolving political disputes. Finally, there is a widespread belief that a democratic political culture is best promoted by developing dense networks of voluntary associations that promote democratic behaviour and values. These can include religious organisations, ethnic groups and professional associations that help to develop a level of moderation that prevents political conflicts from spiralling out of control. A growing number of scholars are focusing on a combination of these factors in explaining the emergence and growth of democracy. This approach draws on a range of theories, including those that emphasise the importance of favourable structural conditions and those that emphasize elite choice. Both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. The favourable-conditions approach allows for detailed explanation of specific cases, but may lead to a lengthy list of relevant factors, while the elite-choice approach is more concise but lacks the richness of structural explanations.