Democratic Regimes

What is democracy?

Origin of the term:

  • Demos, “the common people”

  • Kratia, “power” or “rule”

Modern definition of democracy:

  • Political power is exercised either directly or indirectly by the people

Telling “Good” from “Bad” democracies

  • Iliberal democracy:

    • Hold elections, but lack key democratic elements

    • Sometimes called “electoral democracies.”

  • Liberal democracy:

    • Promote participation, competition, and liberty and emphasize individual freedom andcivil rights

    • considered “true” democracy

The Origins of Democracy

A History of Democracy: Greece and Rome

Ancient Greece (Athens): a small community of direct democracy

  • Few fixed institutions

Rome: Republicanism

  • Indirect democracy that emphasizes the separation of powers within a state and the representation of the public through elected officials

  • Separation of powers: clear division of po

Two forms of democracy

  • Direct Democracy: the public participates directly in governance and policy making, historically found in small communities, such as ancient athens

  • Indirect democracy: the public participates indirectly through elected representatives, the prevalent form of democracy in the modern age

The English Contribution

England: Magna Carta (1215)

  • Limits the power of the monarchy

  • Established judicial rights

  • Taxes and borrowing are controlled by parliament

  • Remains inspiration to UK democracy and its former colonies

    • Heavilt influences the U.S. Constitution

Contemporary democratization:

Possible explanations for democratization

  • Modernization

  • Elites

  • Civil society

  • International relations

  • Political culture

Modernization and Democratization

As societies go through economic modernization:

  • A middle class emerges: population becomes wealthier, better educated, and urbanized

  • Old traditions of authority and hierarchy weaken

  • New values (tolerance, gender equality) emerge

Evaluating the evidence for this theory

  • Some support: many democracies are wealthy countries

  • However, many countries have modernized without democratizing, and vice versa

Main idea: Distributions of wealth and power matter

  • When wealth and state power are held by the same people, elites are more resistant toward democracy if they fear losing wealth

Elites may choose to support democracy if

  • The transition is negotiated in a way that allows them to keep their wealth (South Africa, Chile)

  • Supporting democracy wins them international support (Taiwan)