What is Democratisation?
Democratisation is the process by which political systems become more democratic. It may occur in a top-down manner, as in the case of the United Kingdom or Chile, or in a bottom-up fashion, as in the case of Mexico and Russia. It is often a long and often conflictual process, with frequent reversals.
Whether a country is democratised or not depends on many factors, including economic development, historical legacies, civil society, and international processes. Some theories have focused on how elites drove democratization, whereas others have emphasized grassroots bottom-up processes.
A correlation between economic development and democratization has been one of the most well-established associations in political science. However, there is considerable debate about the causal mechanisms behind this relationship.
The level of education appears to be particularly important for democratisation. In poorer countries, higher levels of education make citizens more attentive to public affairs and more demanding of political participation. In addition, educated people are more likely to hold values that are in accordance with democracy.
There are other factors that influence democratization, such as the size of the middle class and the quality of the legal system. These factors may help determine when a government can afford to support the activities of civil society or the rule of law.
Democracies can only be sustained if they are able to address social, economic and cultural issues and concerns. Moreover, they must be able to provide opportunities for all to fulfil their potential and live in dignity.
If a government fails to meet these requirements, it can lose its legitimacy and fail to secure the support of its citizens. This has been the case in many of the most repressive dictatorships around the world, but also in the so-called ‘Muslim Middle East’, where regimes have tried to achieve democratisation without success or producing nothing more than different forms of procedural democracy.
Regardless of the reason, most governments find it difficult to democratise their societies and maintain their power. This is primarily because a significant part of the population, and especially the poorer section, are not prepared to accept the new regime or its policies. Besides this, the political class in most of these countries is dominated by a group of people who believe that the state should be a force for repression and control.
The emergence of a democratic government is a complex process that involves the establishment of a variety of institutions and procedures. It includes the electoral system; a system of separation of powers and an independent judiciary; an equality of citizens before the law; political checks and balances; and safeguards for the rights of minorities.
These institutions and procedures must be adapted to the local social, economic and cultural context of the country. The most important determining factor is the willingness of the leadership to implement reforms that are in line with the wishes of their people.
The most successful democratic governments are those in which the ruling class has an interest in promoting a democratic regime. In this way, the elites are motivated to carry out democratic reforms that will benefit their interests and thereby secure their positions.
Democratisation is the process by which political systems become more democratic. It may occur in a top-down manner, as in the case of the United Kingdom or Chile, or in a bottom-up fashion, as in the case of Mexico and Russia. It is often a long and often conflictual process, with frequent reversals. Whether a country is democratised or not depends on many factors, including economic development, historical legacies, civil society, and international processes. Some theories have focused on how elites drove democratization, whereas others have emphasized grassroots bottom-up processes. A correlation between economic development and democratization has been one of the most well-established associations in political science. However, there is considerable debate about the causal mechanisms behind this relationship. The level of education appears to be particularly important for democratisation. In poorer countries, higher levels of education make citizens more attentive to public affairs and more demanding of political participation. In addition, educated people are more likely to hold values that are in accordance with democracy. There are other factors that influence democratization, such as the size of the middle class and the quality of the legal system. These factors may help determine when a government can afford to support the activities of civil society or the rule of law. Democracies can only be sustained if they are able to address social, economic and cultural issues and concerns. Moreover, they must be able to provide opportunities for all to fulfil their potential and live in dignity. If a government fails to meet these requirements, it can lose its legitimacy and fail to secure the support of its citizens. This has been the case in many of the most repressive dictatorships around the world, but also in the so-called ‘Muslim Middle East’, where regimes have tried to achieve democratisation without success or producing nothing more than different forms of procedural democracy. Regardless of the reason, most governments find it difficult to democratise their societies and maintain their power. This is primarily because a significant part of the population, and especially the poorer section, are not prepared to accept the new regime or its policies. Besides this, the political class in most of these countries is dominated by a group of people who believe that the state should be a force for repression and control. The emergence of a democratic government is a complex process that involves the establishment of a variety of institutions and procedures. It includes the electoral system; a system of separation of powers and an independent judiciary; an equality of citizens before the law; political checks and balances; and safeguards for the rights of minorities. These institutions and procedures must be adapted to the local social, economic and cultural context of the country. The most important determining factor is the willingness of the leadership to implement reforms that are in line with the wishes of their people. The most successful democratic governments are those in which the ruling class has an interest in promoting a democratic regime. In this way, the elites are motivated to carry out democratic reforms that will benefit their interests and thereby secure their positions.