The Concept of Democratisation
Democratisation refers to the process of moving from an authoritarian regime to one where citizens control the government through a fair and free election. The concept of democratisation has profound implications, both positive and negative, across the globe and is a crucial topic to study if you wish to gain a deeper understanding of the political landscape. Democratisation is not just a political process but also involves many other aspects of society such as education, culture and economics. This is what makes studying a variety of successful and failed democraticisation examples so important.
The democratisation of nations is not an easy task, and there are no quick fixes. It is a long, multifaceted journey that often involves setbacks as well as progress.
There are a number of theories on what factors influence the democratisation of nations, ranging from social to economic to political. A country’s political decisions and surrounding circumstances at critical junctures play an essential role in determining its path towards or away from democracy. Another theory is that a nation’s structural characteristics determine its democratisation potential. This suggests that a country that has capitalist economies or that has a more equal distribution of income is more likely to move towards democracy than a state with communist economies or unequal distribution of wealth.
While the democratisation of nations is an ongoing and complex process, there are certain key features that are commonly seen in successful democracies around the world. These include free and fair elections, the protection of human rights, a strong civil society, the rule of law and an active citizenry. While the most obvious form of civic participation is voting, there are a number of other ways that citizens can engage with politics and government, from attending public events to volunteering for charity work. These other forms of engagement are crucial to a functioning democracy and to ensuring that the government really is “by the people”.
A final feature of successful democracies is their avoidance of war with each other, a phenomenon known as the ‘democratic peace’. While there were a handful of ambiguous cases in the 19th century when democratising countries fought each other, there has been no case of an established democracy going to war with another since 1900.
Despite the fact that there is an increasing emphasis on democracy around the world, it is important to note that the number of states classified as democracies is still relatively small. This is because a significant number of countries have not achieved a fully functional democratic system. Those that have fallen short of this mark have typically done so because they lack the underlying level of civic participation that underpins a democracy. In addition, they have lacked the necessary degree of democratic maturity that enables a majority to grasp and adopt democratic ideas, values and practices as not threatening but rather complementary to their traditional cultural references for what constitutes the ‘common good’. These are the fundamental problems that need to be addressed before a nation can successfully make the transition to full-fledged democracy.
Democratisation refers to the process of moving from an authoritarian regime to one where citizens control the government through a fair and free election. The concept of democratisation has profound implications, both positive and negative, across the globe and is a crucial topic to study if you wish to gain a deeper understanding of the political landscape. Democratisation is not just a political process but also involves many other aspects of society such as education, culture and economics. This is what makes studying a variety of successful and failed democraticisation examples so important. The democratisation of nations is not an easy task, and there are no quick fixes. It is a long, multifaceted journey that often involves setbacks as well as progress. There are a number of theories on what factors influence the democratisation of nations, ranging from social to economic to political. A country’s political decisions and surrounding circumstances at critical junctures play an essential role in determining its path towards or away from democracy. Another theory is that a nation’s structural characteristics determine its democratisation potential. This suggests that a country that has capitalist economies or that has a more equal distribution of income is more likely to move towards democracy than a state with communist economies or unequal distribution of wealth. While the democratisation of nations is an ongoing and complex process, there are certain key features that are commonly seen in successful democracies around the world. These include free and fair elections, the protection of human rights, a strong civil society, the rule of law and an active citizenry. While the most obvious form of civic participation is voting, there are a number of other ways that citizens can engage with politics and government, from attending public events to volunteering for charity work. These other forms of engagement are crucial to a functioning democracy and to ensuring that the government really is “by the people”. A final feature of successful democracies is their avoidance of war with each other, a phenomenon known as the ‘democratic peace’. While there were a handful of ambiguous cases in the 19th century when democratising countries fought each other, there has been no case of an established democracy going to war with another since 1900. Despite the fact that there is an increasing emphasis on democracy around the world, it is important to note that the number of states classified as democracies is still relatively small. This is because a significant number of countries have not achieved a fully functional democratic system. Those that have fallen short of this mark have typically done so because they lack the underlying level of civic participation that underpins a democracy. In addition, they have lacked the necessary degree of democratic maturity that enables a majority to grasp and adopt democratic ideas, values and practices as not threatening but rather complementary to their traditional cultural references for what constitutes the ‘common good’. These are the fundamental problems that need to be addressed before a nation can successfully make the transition to full-fledged democracy.