democratization

the state

refers to institutions and organizations, the structures such as the central bank, courts, military, bureaucracy etc.

regime

refers to the laws and regulations that determine how state institutions should be managed and governed.

government

is the individuals, and groups in the state institutions/organizations such as politicians administrators, military personnel etc.

democracy

is a regime in which the rule is by the people who must have access to political rights and civil rights. They can't really rule if they don't have access to these rights.

political rights

are rights that are directly associated with participating in politics such as the right to vote, right to run for office, right to form/join a political party, and the right to participate in political events.

civil rights

are right beyond participating in the political process such as freedom of speech, of expression, and of assembly.

procedural definition of democracy

surrounds the menial standards and procedures required for democracy: regular and repeated elections, two or more political parties, incumbent party loses, winner party can form a government, winner party can govern.

substantive definition of democracy

has to do with the depth and quality of the democratic process because democracy is a means to an end. Democracy is meant to deliver social inclusion, accountability, poverty, equality, and economic outcomes.

regime change

refers to a regime that changes from authoritarian to democratic.

democratization

is the process by which an authoritarian regime becomes democratic.

democratic breakdown

is a complete change from democratic to authoritarian regime. 

democratic consolidation

is institutionalization to protect democratic status.

representative democracy

is often when the citizens do not directly vote on an issue, instead they vote for a representative who votes on their behalf on a spectrum of issues, which is called mediation.

constitutional republic

when the head of the state is a president who is constructed by the power of the constitution

constitutional monarchy

when the head of the state is a monarch who is constructed by the power of the constitution.

direct democracy

one in which there is limited mediation in which citizens vote directly on issues through referenda