Democratization

Democratization is not typically associated with the Middle East and North Africa. There are a variety of factors that can explain why this is the case. There is a lack or presence of civil society, the state controls the economy, the people are disadvantaged, the location of the Middle East and North Africa is disadvantageous for democracy, and the culture of the region can impact the government (Bellin 2004, 139-141). In The Robustness of Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Exceptionalism in Comparative Perspective Eva Bellin argues that these factors are not enough and instead “…a coercive state deeply opposed to democratic reform has quashed initiatives favorable to democracy” (Bellin 2004, 142). Bellin uses this to explain why the Middle…

These are: the lack of civil society, a market-driven economy, low income and literacy levels, democratic neighbors and alienated culture to democracy (Bellin 141). Although these variables are present in the region, and play a role in authoritarian regimes, they are not sufficient explanation for the MENA region, given that other regions did manage to make the transition to democracy even though they had a similar presence of these variables. For example, civil society was week in sub Saharan…

nature. However, he does not provide empirical evidences for the negative and dangerous consequences of such policies and their direct connection to the U.S. national security and declining power. Layne rejects the institutional constraint factors in their entirety all at once. He does not provide solid empirical or explanatory evidence as to how and why public opinion towards democracies and non-democracies is indifferent. Moreover, Layne’s alternative hypothesis for democratization of states…

specific type of regime.Just as there are three different roles for a state to play, there are also three different types of regimes, which are democracy, totalitarian, and authoritarian.Democratic regimes are best formulated as “certain rules, uncertain outcomes.” Elements of a democratic regime include things such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, right to habeas corpus, etc. Many countries began adopting the ideals of a democracy starting in 1828. The adoption of democracy became…

The main themes of Waltz’s article are democracy, interdependence, and institutions, which is the foundation that aids the idealists' stands for an international system of nations, and subsequently, in their view, an idyllic global system of governance. With democracy, Waltz poses that democracy does oppose each other, and then again shows that they ultimately do. He provides example like the World War I, and the US against Latin American and the democratically elected governments in the…

Democracy is considered as a peaceful entity and the world without war. American president Woodrow Wilson, for example, believes that democracy is inherently peace desiring and consequently contributes to the world peace, replacing war-like political regime (Gat, 2006). It is largely supported by liberal thinkers such as John Locke and Immanuel Kant. Liberalism is considered as an alternative theoretical thinking to realism, which is regarded as the dominant theory in the international…

Out of the democratic transition mechanisms we studied in class, I would argue that the best way to move out of an authoritarian regime is an actor-centered pacted transition. During this essay, I will first discuss three reasons why an actor-centered pacted transition is the best transition to democracy. I will then conclude with how these three reasons combined make this type of transition the best. The first reason why an actor-centered pacted transition is the best way to move from…

On Churchill 's view of Democracy Dallas Gibb (104057793) University of Windsor Comparative Politics (45-130) November 26 2014 Winston Churchill had said once that “democracy is the worst form of government except all others that have been tried” meaning that democracy is the best form of government. Within a democracy, one can expect economic freedoms to pursue profits and better themselves through the free market, where as in authoritarian regimes, there is usually an absence…

Democratization prospects for China have long been debated. How, if ever, will China change gears toward becoming a democratic society? Since World War I, many countries in Eastern Europe and Asia were met with a tremendous change in political climate as their communist regimes collapsed and citizens prepared to uphold the victory of democratic values. This, understandably, brought about much curiosity about a potential future fall of the Chinese communist party and China’s future prospects for…

foreign policy objectives; to promote democratization and the corresponding benefits of democracy (Heller 485). Interestingly enough, in the last two decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of democracies across the globe (Heller…