What is Democratisation?
Democratisation describes the transition from an authoritarian government to one that allows citizens to vote for their leaders and laws. It also promotes a free and vibrant civil society, protects human rights and maintains the rule of law. It is a complex and multifaceted process that has impacted countries around the world for centuries. It is not something that can be imposed from outside, and it often takes an extended period of time for democracy to take root in any country.
A key reason is that the success of democracy requires a wide range of democratic institutions and practices. While many democratization theorists have different ideas as to how these are best promoted, there is a general consensus that favourable conditions are important. These are:
Many of these favourable conditions are cultural, while others are economic, political and international. These include:
Some theorists stress the importance of industrialization, which makes it easier for a country to establish independent democratic institutions and build an economy. Economic development also creates a growing middle class, which is believed to be a crucial force in democracy because it has an interest in democratic governance and the capacity to pressure politicians for reform.
Other theorists emphasize the importance of foreign aid, which is needed to fund the democratic processes of a country. This is viewed as an incentive for developing countries to abandon their authoritarian tendencies and embrace democracy, which will benefit them in the long run by improving economic growth, reducing poverty and unemployment, and strengthening stability.
Several studies suggest that there is a ‘democratic pact’, a tendency for democracy to spread around the globe. It is thought that this pact is caused by the fact that democracies do not usually fight each other. This idea has been backed up by the lack of cases in which established democracies have gone to war with each other since 1900.
There is a great deal of debate about how and why democracy spreads. Some argue that there is a universal desire for democracy; others emphasize the strengths of democratic systems that make them models for emulation. There is no consensus on which of these is most important, and it is possible that the factors involved are multiple and interrelated.
There is also much debate about whether democratisation is a ‘natural’ or ‘instructional’ phenomenon, and it is possible that both are true. There is also a belief that the conditions for democratisation vary by region, with some regions having more potential for democratization than others. For example, the Muslim Middle East has been the least democratised area of the world, despite repeated attempts at democratisation, most of which have failed or produced only a form of procedural democracy. It is thought that this may be a result of the specific culture and regional environment in which the region is located.
Democratisation describes the transition from an authoritarian government to one that allows citizens to vote for their leaders and laws. It also promotes a free and vibrant civil society, protects human rights and maintains the rule of law. It is a complex and multifaceted process that has impacted countries around the world for centuries. It is not something that can be imposed from outside, and it often takes an extended period of time for democracy to take root in any country. A key reason is that the success of democracy requires a wide range of democratic institutions and practices. While many democratization theorists have different ideas as to how these are best promoted, there is a general consensus that favourable conditions are important. These are: Many of these favourable conditions are cultural, while others are economic, political and international. These include: Some theorists stress the importance of industrialization, which makes it easier for a country to establish independent democratic institutions and build an economy. Economic development also creates a growing middle class, which is believed to be a crucial force in democracy because it has an interest in democratic governance and the capacity to pressure politicians for reform. Other theorists emphasize the importance of foreign aid, which is needed to fund the democratic processes of a country. This is viewed as an incentive for developing countries to abandon their authoritarian tendencies and embrace democracy, which will benefit them in the long run by improving economic growth, reducing poverty and unemployment, and strengthening stability. Several studies suggest that there is a ‘democratic pact’, a tendency for democracy to spread around the globe. It is thought that this pact is caused by the fact that democracies do not usually fight each other. This idea has been backed up by the lack of cases in which established democracies have gone to war with each other since 1900. There is a great deal of debate about how and why democracy spreads. Some argue that there is a universal desire for democracy; others emphasize the strengths of democratic systems that make them models for emulation. There is no consensus on which of these is most important, and it is possible that the factors involved are multiple and interrelated. There is also much debate about whether democratisation is a ‘natural’ or ‘instructional’ phenomenon, and it is possible that both are true. There is also a belief that the conditions for democratisation vary by region, with some regions having more potential for democratization than others. For example, the Muslim Middle East has been the least democratised area of the world, despite repeated attempts at democratisation, most of which have failed or produced only a form of procedural democracy. It is thought that this may be a result of the specific culture and regional environment in which the region is located.