Comparative Politics: Democracy, Authoritarian Regimes, and the Arab Spring

Third Wave of Democracy

Surge of democratic transitions from 1974 onward, starting with Portugal's Carnation Revolution.

Countries in Third Wave

Portugal, Spain, Greece

Great Power Influence

Influence of great powers in the process of democratization.

Snowballing Effect of Democratization

The phenomenon where the success of one democratic transition encourages others.

Economic Origins of Democracy

Elites cannot credibly commit to reforms without granting power to citizens.

Elites and Voting Rights

Elites extend voting rights when facing protest or revolution threats.

Mechanism of Democracy

Driven by inequality and redistribution pressures.

Examples of Economic Origins

19th-century Britain, Latin America, South Africa.

Types of Authoritarian Regimes

Personalist Military and Single-party

Mechanism of Autocratic Survival

Regimes maintain power through patronage, growth, and controlled elections.

Collapse of Autocratic Regimes

Occurs when credibility and economic control erode.

Robustness of Authoritarianism

Examines the strength and loyalty of coercive apparatus in determining outcomes.

Arab Spring

Uprisings beginning in Tunisia (2010) spreading to Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain.

Causes of Arab Spring

Economic grievances, corruption, youth unemployment, repression.

Outcomes of Arab Spring

Tunisia: Democratized Egypt: Return to authoritarian rule (strong military), Syria, Libya, Yemen: Civil wars.

Eva Belin

Arab Spring

Magaloni

Autocratic durability

Geddes

Authoritarian Regimes

Acemoglu and Robinson

Economic Origins of Democracy

Huntington

Third Wave of Democratization

How did Arab spring start

Tunisian vendor set himself on fire

Definition of Democracy

Political power is evenly distributed and institutions are inclusive

Acemoglu Theory of Elites

Democracy is a strategic choice

How the Third Wave of Democratization started

Portugal’s Carnation Revolution

Carnation Revolution

Disilusioned Portuguese soldiers overthrew dictatorship