INTL 190: Democracy in the Developing World Spring 2012

THE STATE OF DEMOCRACY: OVERVIEW Schedule and Assignments Synthesis: Diamond, Spirit of Democracy, Introduction and Part I Collier and Levitsky, “Democracy with Adjectives” Munck and Verkuilen, “Conceptualizing and Measuring Democracy”

“SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY” Purposeful action: “struggle, strategy, ingenuity, vision, courage, conviction, compromise, and choices by human actors… politics in the best sense of the word.” “Increasingly, democratic values and aspirations are becoming universal…” “a change of heart” Question: “can the whole world become democratic?”

POLITICAL REGIME TYPES Electoral democracy = free and fair elections Liberal democracy = democratic elections + “thick” dimensions (citizen rights) Illiberal democracy = elections without all other attributes (citizen rights) Pseudemocracy ̴ electoral authoritarian regimes Note: authoritarianism ≠ totalitarianism

QUERIES Is democracy a luxury? Proposition: “the richer the country, the greater the chance that it would sustain democracy” Is democracy a Western concept? –therefore not universal –“clash of civilizations” thesis –Islam the problem? [see p. 35] –“Asian values” thesis –Survey support for democracy [p. 33]

THE DEMOCRATIC BOOM “the greatest transformation in the way states are governed in the history of the world” [p. 6] Waves (à la Huntington): –First , reversals –Second , reversals –Third 1974-present? reversals –Key events: Philippines 1986, Eastern Europe 1989, North Africa 2011?

FEATURES OF THE THIRD WAVE 1. snowballing 2. negotiated (“pacted”) 3. role of civil society 4. electoral process 5. global phenomenon –Of 110 nondemocratic states in 1974, 63 (57%) underwent democratic transition –About 60% of all countries democratic

REVERSALS Pakistan (1999) –deterioration in rule of law –ethnic and religious polarization –economic failure, corruption The curse of oil –resources for repression –corruption –socioeconomic inequality –escalation of internal conflict –no taxes, no representation –wealth an illusion

WHAT DRIVES DEMOCRACY? Internal factors –Authoritarian failures and divisions –Economic development + middle class –“psychic mobility” and democratic values –emergence of civil society External factors –Diffusion and demonstration effects –Leverage and linkage –Sanctions and conditionality –Democracy assistance Regional influence –Organization of American States –European Union (EU), Commonwealth of Nations –African Union, Arab League

WHAT SUSTAINS DEMOCRACY? Political culture Civil society Management of diversity Accountability and rule of law “… the lesson of India’s remarkable experience is that even modest but consistent economic development, combined with a decent functioning and gradual deepening of democratic institutions, can sustain a free political system just about anywhere” (p. 168).

THOUGHTS ON CURRENT EVENTS Acceptance of authoritarian rule: –Claims to legitimacy –Economic (or other) performance –Repression and fear Protest against misrule: –Economic failure, international humiliation –Corruption and inequality –Exclusion of new elites Support for democracy? Or for an alternative dictatorship?

ANALYTICAL TOOLS Collier and Levitsky, “Democracy with Adjectives”