Pol S 204 Lecture Democratic Transition cid 127 Most important questions stable democracy map cid 127 Why do we care democracies tend to protect individual rights improves quality of life justice best interest of the people democracies more legitimate democracies tend to adopt policies that benefit the majority not just elites citizens consent to process by which decisions made also recognize connection btwn public policies their own lives legitimate checks balances politicians have limits trust helps economic growth cid 127 Why isn t the whole world democratic fall back to autocracy why are some characterized by democracy others autocratic or others experiment with democracy only to it is very hard to organize an honest legitimate election or supreme court people that are living day to day can not afford the change even if it could be better cid 127 What is Democracy citizens select political leaders through free fair elections constraints on executive authority discretion veto pts elections poltitcal parties are independent from state competitive alternation in office incumbent parties can lose elections the protection of individual rights liberties cid 127 multi party system is similar to 2 party system Democracy is a miracle conflict regulated processed according to rules conflict limited tamed stakes of politics reduced no need to resort to violence conflict not about basic rights or rules of the game This means that incumbents do not use their control of law to destroy rules of the game or opponents challengers do not use violence they wait their turn cid 127 majorities on X issue do not try to science or persecute minorities on X issue Democracy makes major demands on you requires people to take interest keep up on remote or complex issues requires people to excursive self restraint not crutch minority requires constraint vigilance monitoring of the elected politician bureaucracy to hold them accountable NSA scandal example in class The Big Questions 1 what explains democratic transition 2 Why do some democracies survive democratic transition while other democracies revert to dictatorship cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 Modernization Theory hypothisis As countries become more economically developed and modernize they become more likely to become democratic they are also more likely to stay democratic wealth democracy Key changes mechanisms the industrial revolution Urbanization cid 127 Greater Wealth Education urbanization Industrialization charts they are all democracies Pictures what life might have been like population density map cid 127 What is it about economic development 1 family individual level transformations 2 changes in preferences 3 changes in identity 4 opportunities to organize collectively and agitate for change Family individual level transformations 1 fewer children no more farm work farm to factory Fertility rate map Changes in preferences 2 greater specialization productivity skilled labor means higher wages more leisure time formerly rural people can t rely on family clan for security credit insurance new demands for public goods arise sanitation infrastructure education Changes in identity interests citizens become more sophisticated self aware confident willing to make demands specialize wealthier are better educated more free time because their basic needs are met ppl can focus on political rights favorable policies disagree immigrants tend to stick together competition cid 127 Opportunities to organize collectively and agitate for change far city unions protest wage labors economic political change union cid 127 Why this matters for democracy citizens wealthier demand political reform citizens in wealthier put pressure on elite s political parties demand civil liberties political representation pose less of a threat to elites people less mad at the elite s skeptical comments Cost of representation against sophisticated organize citizens cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 organization photo Egypt against Mubaric Challenge modernization theory china should be a democracy but per capita income is still low low education not developed Always authoritarian egypt iraq iran damascus cid 127 Over thrown regimes Crackdowns just because they are old it doesn t mean they are mature even if the people are ready the elite s may not be ready values conflict with modernization theory cid 127 modernization theory may need to be adjusted wat about dierder after the dictator is gone Setbacks 3 critiques against modernization look at slides for examples 1 there have been transitions to democracy in poor places but it hasn t stuck democracy is tough in a poor place 2 could it be the case that democracy makes countries wealthy modern 3 a country s level of wealth degree of modernization can t explain HOW democracy happens or who is behind the democratization Unpacking Democracy Transition to democracy not the same as democratic consolidation even if transition to democracy what are chances they will survive popular democracy not just a game by the elite s government can be informally controlled by informal institutions of the people cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127 cid 127