Democracy and Democratization

1. POL 252
Fall 2014

5.  “Democracy” is from Greek “Demokratia”
 “Rule of the People”
 “Demos” = “People”
 “Kratos” = “Power”
The Parthenon in Athens, Greece

7. ROBERT DAHL CHARACTERISTICS
 Effective Participation
 Voting Equality
 Enlightened
Understanding
 Control of the Agenda
 Inclusion of Adults

8. AREND LIJPHART MODELS OF DEMOCRACY
 Majoritarian Model
 Consensus Model

10.  Consolidation of power in hands of majority
 Characterized by:
 Exclusiveness
 Competititveness
 Adversarial Nature
 What are the model’s traditional features?

12.  Sharing of power for broader participation
and agreement in govt.
 Characterized by:
 Inclusiveness
 Bargaining
 Compromise
 What are the model’s traditional features?

14. ON DEMOCRACY BASIC CONDITIONS
 Essential
 Favorable

16.  Control of Military & Police by Elected Officials
 Impact on Internal Sovereignty
Many governments in this region
gained power by military coups
and other non-democratic means.
Costa Rica = Democracy

17.  Control of Military & Police by Elected Officials
 Democratic Beliefs and Political Culture
 Citizen preference of democracy
 Occurs through socialization
Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance
in elementary school is an early
form of political socialization.

18.  Control of Military and Police by Elected Officials
 Democratic Beliefs and Political Culture
 No Foreign Control Hostile to Democracy
 Country cannot be influenced by non-democratic or
authoritarian entity

19.  Limited or No Cultural Conflict
 “Us” vs. “Them”
 Democratic Institutions amid Cultural Diversity?
▪ Assimilation
▪ Decision by Consensus
▪ Electoral Systems
▪ Separation
 Modern Market Economy and Society

21.  Democracy-Dictatorship Measure
 POLITY Measure
 Freedom House Measure

22.  Democracy-Dictatorship Measure
 Governmental Offices
▪ Chief Executive and Legislature are ELECTED
 Contestation
▪ Uncertainty – Outcome NOT known beforehand
▪ Irreversibility – Winner of election actually takes office
▪ Repeatability – Elections occur at regular intervals

24.  Democracy-Dictatorship Measure
 POLITY Measure
 Competitiveness and Openness of Executive
Recruitment
▪ Can anyone run for president? (Restrictions in U.S.)
 Regulation and Competitiveness of Political
Participation
▪ How many political parties exist?

25.  Democracy-Dictatorship Measure
 POLITY Measure
 Freedom House Measure
 Political Rights
▪ Electoral Process, Participation, Functioning of Govt.
 Civil Rights
▪ Freedom of Expression, Rule of Law, Personal Autonomy

27. We can argue that the U.S. became a democracy at different historical points.

30. “BOTTOM-UP” PROCESS
Popular Uprising
Overthrow of
Authoritarian
Regime
Democratization
“TOP-DOWN” PROCESS
Introduction of
Reforms by Elite
Increasing
Reforms
Democratization

32.  Discusses
democratization via
Samuel Huntington three periods or “waves”

33. Roots in
Revolutions
• American
• French
Expansion of
Franchise
• U.S.
• Europe
Receded by
1930s
• Military Coups
• Fascism

34. Origins in World
War II
• Democracy in
Europe
• Independence
Movements
Receded by
1960s
• Military Coups and
Dictatorships
• Cold War Politics

35. Democratic
Governments
• Latin America
•Asia
Democracy in
Europe
• Fall of Berlin Wall
Former Soviet
Nations Declare
Independence
• Lithuania
• Belarus
•Armenia

39.  Structural vs.
Contingent Approach
 International vs.
Domestic Approach
 Economic vs.
Political Approach

41. POLITICAL
 Political Institutions
 Globalization
ECONOMIC
 Shocks and Crises
 Composition of Wealth
 Inter-Group Inequality

42. SOCIAL
 Middle Class
CULTURAL
 Civil Society