There is considerable debate about which factors ultimately limit or even affect democratization. A great many things, including history, culture, and economics have been cited as impacting on this process. Some of the more frequently mentioned factors are: Wealth.

A higher gross domestic product per capita seems to correlate with democracy and it seems the wealthiest democracies never fall into the trap of authoritarianism. There is also the general observation that democracy was very rare before the industrial revolution; Education. Wealth also correlates with education, though their effects on democratic consolidation appear to be independent.

People who are better educated seem to share more pro democratic and liberal views. Conversely, an illiterate and poorly educated population tends to elect populist politicians who it seems soon forget about democracy and wind up becoming dictators although there may have been free elections; Capitalism. Some claim that capitalism and democracy are linked intrinsically. This belief generally centers on the idea that capitalism and democracy are simply two different aspects of freedom; Social equality. It has been argued that the relationship between democratic transition and social equality should be nonlinear; Middle class. According to some models, the existence of a substantial body of citizens who are of intermediate wealth seem to be able to exert a stabilizing influence which allows democracy to flourish; Civil society. A healthy society is considered by some theorists to be important for democratization, as they give people a unity and a common purpose, and a social network through which to organize and challenge the power of the state hierarchy; Civic culture. Comprehensive studies of civic cultures have resulted in findings that a certain civic culture is necessary for the survival of democracy; Culture. It is claimed by some that certain cultures are simply more conductive to democratic values than others; Emancipative Values and Human Empowerment. It is generally accepted that democratization is the result of a broader process of human development, which empowers ordinary people in a certain sequence; Homogeneous population. Some believe that a country which is deeply divided, whether by language, religion or ethnic group, have difficulty establishing a working democracy; Previous experience with democracy. Some believe that foreign involvement in democratization is a crucial factor in its success or failure, and; Age distribution. Countries which have a higher degree of elderly people seem to be able to maintain democracy once it has evolved. These factors explain why there is so much debate about which of them affects democratization.

The debate continues.