Democratization is defined as the movement from a less democratic political regime to a more democratic type of political regime. This may include the movement from a semi authoritarian political system to a democratic political system or from an authoritarian regime to a full democracy. The outcome might be consolidated or democratization may face frequent reversals. Different types of democratization are sometimes utilized to provide an explanation of other political occurrences, such as whether a country’s economy grows or whether it goes to a war. Democratization is itself influenced by numerous factors, including civil society, history, and economic development.
It has ...
Democratization Factors
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 ...
Historical cases of Democratization
Development of democracies has often been a violent, slow process which has often been marked by frequent and numerous reversals. The English Civil War took place between 1642 and 1651 in Great Britain between the King and an elected Parliament. The Restoration and the Protectorate then restored a more dominating type of rule. Next, The Glorious Revolution (1688) then established a strong Parliament. However, only with the Representation of the People Act (1884) did the majority of the males get the right to vote.
The United States was created during The American Revolutionary War (1775 to 1783). It was an ideological ...