democratization

what is a regime?

set of institutions used to govern a state

what is democracy?

trick question, there is no universal definition of democracy and there is no attempt to make one

why is democracy important?

its better at

1. reducing risk of conflict (DPT)

2. behaving peacefully in IS

3. promoting economic development

4. providing better environments for economic development

how do we measure democracy?

its a dichotomy, you either are democratic or you arent and that is measured based on

1. effective participation (equal participation rights)

2. voting equality (equal suffrage)

3. enlightened understanding (equal access to info)

4. control of agenda (equal opportunity to decide whats important)

5. inclusion (all citizens enjoy rights as citizens)

what is a democratic transition?

the start line, process by which a democratic regime is installed in place authoritarian regimes

what is democratic consolidation?

the finish line, democratic institutions becoming securely embedded in a states political culture (institutions are respected + legitimate)

what are the major reasons states democraticize?

they democraticize because democracies are good at

1. distributing society’s wealth equally

2. reducing extreme poverty

3. protecting natural environment

4. increasing overall happiness in citizens

5. increasing legitimacy

6. protecting and respecting individual rights

what are the waves of democratization?

1. wave 1828→1926: long slow wave, 29 attempts 12 failed (1926→1943 reversal)

   1. wave 1943→1964: post wwii wave, 36 attempts 30 failed (1961→1975 reversal)

2. wave 1970→present: 60 attempts at the height of it

wave of democratization

period of consolidation within a specific time frame where the consolidations significantly outnumber the reversals so to speak

institution

set of rules

types of regimes

democratic or nondemocratic/authoritarian

what do regimes posess?

uncertainty

where does legitimacy come from?

the people/consent of the governed

is democracy the presence of elections?

no

major democratic attributes

• consent of the ruled

• universal suffrage

• rule of law/individual rights

• elections

• political legitimacy

pzresrwski said…

democracy is contested elections and alterations

alteration

incumbent loses and steps down peacefully

democracy is not…

a lot of stuff

1. socioeconomic equality

2. capitalism

3. small government

4. property rights

5. economic efficiency/growth

6. freedom of religion

7. stability

8. peace

9. certainty

10. political/administrative efficiency

what conditions favor consolidation?

1. previous democratic experience

2. high level of economic development

3. favorable intl political environment

4. early transtition in the wave

5. peaceful transitions of power

what are the preexisting conditions that make democracy easier to obtain?

1. previous experience

2. universal suffrage

3. universal right to run for office

4. freedom of assistance

5. freedom of expression

6. freedom of press

reason states democratize on the individual level

actors in charge matter in making decisions

reason states democratize on the state level

domestic attributes such as institutions and ideology matter

reason states democratize on the global level

environments conductive/are ready for democracy