Democracy defined:

• real competition
• full participation
• voting rights
• run for office
• civil liberties
• parties
• press
• political culture
• consensus about who is included in the state
• (e.g.: resident aliens, illegal immigrants, felons, ethnic groups)
• tolerance
• rule of law

Democratic Institutions:
 
 

Democracy as a process or continuum

• political liberalization
• electoral democracy
• delegative democracy
• elite rule
• democracy not routinized or internalized
• not stable, can be overthrown
• status of military
• liberal democracy
• leaders chosen by free, popular elections
• everone (including military) accepts the "rules of the game", democracy is a habit
• no significant groups (including military) try to overthrow or secede
• confirmation: democratic change of a government
• May take two generations to be confirmed

Triggers for democracy- Loss of Political Legitimacy

• economic crisis
• debt trap
• loss of foreign aid
• extravagant corruption (Indonesia, Peru)
• military loss (Greece, Argentina)
• loss of diplomatic recognition (Taiwan)
• foreign pressure
• international diffusion effect
• structural adjustment requirements
• military occupation
• US: Germany, Japan, Iraq(?)
• Tanzania: Uganda
• Vietnam: Cambodia

Who wants Democracy?

• Popular demands for participation
• students
• labor
• middle class
• Elites want legitimacy
• to confirm their power
• deal with protests
• enforce economic changes
• Foreign Pressure
• end corruption
• get better governance
• Demonstration Effect of changes in other countries

• The dilemma of modernization:
• modernization can sharpen economic differences and tensions
• class divisions, particularly during economic downturn
• regional (esp re: natural resources)
• increased power of state increases potential disputes about cultural identity
• demographic transition makes problems more complicated
• democratic dilemma
• deepening democracy means addressing social and economic inequalities
• this can trigger elite authoritarian reaction
• electoral mobilization can divide the society by ethnicity, class, region, religion.
• in Africa, fear is that democracy will lead to increased tribalization
• Islamic party in Algeria
• US policy of democracy for Iraq has sharpened tensions and violence
• corruption
• "machine parties" can use corruption in voting
• leaders use patronage
• difficult to establish rule of law
• democratic leaders can simply be members of elite families, concerned about own interest
• 2006 election Nicaragua shows some of these traits 1 |
• Dilemma: Democratic rights for non democratic parties?
• communists in various countries?
• Islamic Salvation Front in Algeria after cancelled election, 1992?
• one man - one vote - one time (?)
• terror, counter terror details
• Mechanics of voting are very complicated
• creating effective campaigns
• voter registration lists
• secret ballots, one vote only
• money in politics - politics takes money, politicians want support, people want access, what is corruption?
• Capacity Building essential to maintain legitimacy of democracy
• getting taxes paid so public services can be supplied
• law and order, effective police
• economic growth and improvement
• reconciling group conflict