Dahl on Democracy free essay sample

What Underlying Conditions Favour Democracy? Page 145-165 We face two questions: How can we account for the establishment of democratic institutions in so many countries in so many parts of the world, and how can we explain its failure? A full answer is impossible; two interrelated sets of factors are undoubtedly of crucial importance. FAILURE OF THE ALTERNATIVES During the 20th century, the main alternatives lost out in competition with democracy. The monarchy, open oligarchy, hereditary aristocracy fatally declined in legitimacy and ideological strength. Though replaced by nondemocratic alternatives (fascism, nazism) they flourished briefly due to their defeat in WW2. Military dictatorships, mainly in latin America, fell due to economic, diplomatic and military (Argentina) failures. The main democratic antagonist (USSR) collapsed due to internal decay and external pressures. A final victory for democracy has not been achieved, nor was it close, see China. Middle eastern countries are still not democratic as well as some countries that reverted back to nondemocratic regimes as conditions were not favourable. Favourable conditions: Essential conditions for democracy 1. Control of military and police by elected officials. 2. Democratic beliefs and political culture. 3. No strong foreign control hostile to democracy Favourable conditions for democracy: 4. A modern market economy and society 5. Weak subcultural pluralism FOREIGN INTERVENTION democratic institutions are less likely to develop in a country subject to intervention by another country hostile to democratic government in that country. E. g. Soviet intervention prevented Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary from democratizing despite favourable conditions. The US: history of intervening in Latin America, overthrowing democratically elected governments to protect their economic interests in the region, for instance in Guatamala in 1954. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the US started supporting development of democratic institutions in Eastern Europe. CONTROL OVER MILITARY AND POLICE Unless the military and police forces are under the full control of democratically elected officials, democratic political institutions are unlikely to develop or endure. The most dangerous internal threat to democracy comes from leaders who have access to the means of physical coercion: military and police. Military and police leaders must defer power to democratic officials. In central and Latin America, of the 47 governments, two thirds gained power by means other than free and fair elections, most often by a military coup. In contrast, Costa Rica has been a beacon of democracy since 1950. In 1950, Costa Rica eliminated the threat of a military coup by abolishing the military all together. CULTURAL CONFLICTS WEAK OR ABSENT Democratic political institutions are more likely to develop and endure in a country that is culturally fairly homogenous and less likely in a country with sharply differentiated and conflicting subcultures. Cultural conflicts can erupt in the political arena, and they typically do: over religion, language, or even dress-codes in schools. Issues like these pose a special problem for democracy. Cultural problems are often viewed as matters of principle from deep religious convictions, cultural preservation or group survival. They view them too crucial to allow for compromise, nonnegotiable. A peaceful democratic process requires negotiation, conciliation and compromise. In older democracies, they have managed to avoid severe cultural conflicts. Even if these differences exist, they have allowed more negotiable differences (i. e. economic issues). There are some exceptions. Cultural differences have been significant in the US, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands and Canada. How have democratic institutions been able to survive in these countries? Assimilation. The American solution, British colonists encountered new waves of settlers from Ireland, Scandinavia, Germany, etc. By 1910, 20% of the population wasnt born in the US. They assimilated their dominant political loyalty and identity and became American. This was mainly voluntary or enforced by social mechanisms (such as shame) that minimized the need for coercion by the state. However, African Americans and Native Americans needed to be coerced to assimilate, if not this was followed by exclusion. This resulted in an irrepressible conflict; the Civil War. Deciding by consensus. Distinctive and potentially conflicting subcultures have existed in Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. Each created political arrangements that required unanimity or broad consensus for decisions made by cabinet and parliament. The principle of majority rule yielded to a principle of unanimity. Consensual systems like these cannot be created or will not work successfully except under very special conditions. These include a talent for conciliation; high tolerance for compromise; trustworthy leaders capable of negotiating sufficient solutions; consensus on basic goals and values; a national identity that discourages demands for separation and a commitment to democratic procedures that exclude violent and revolutionary means. These are uncommon conditions, and may collapse under the pressure of acute cultural conflict (like in Lebanon, 1958). Electoral Systems. Cultural differences often get out of hand because they are used by politicians competing for support (Kenya 2012, Ivory Coast 2010). Politicians may deliberately appeal to members of their cultural group and ignite latent animosities into hatreds that culminate in â€Å"cultural cleansing†. To avoid this, electoral systems could be designed to change incentives of politicians: make conciliation more profitable than conflict. For instance, no candidates can be elected with the support of only a single group, they would need to gain votes from several major cultural groups. This needs to be included early in the process of democratization. Separation. When cultural cleavages are too deep to be overcome by any of the previous solutions, the final solution may be for cultural groups to separate themselves into different political units within which they possess enough autonomy to maintain their identity and achieve their main political goals (eg: Sudan, Montenegro, Kosovo). The Swiss solution has two requirements: citizens in different subcultures must be already separated along territorial lines, and second the citizens must have a national identity and common goals and values to sustain a federal union. In Canada, French Canadians want independence, however their territory isnt sufficient territorially divided. DEMOCRATIC BELIEFS AND CULTURE. The prospects for stable democracy in a country are improved if its citizens and leaders strongly support democratic ideas, values and practices. A democratic political culture helps to form citizens who believe that democracy and political equality are desirable. A substantial majority of citizens must prefer democracy and its political institutions to any nondemocratic alternative and support democratic leaders who uphold democracy. ECONOMIC GROWTH WITH A MARKET ECONOMY Historically, the development of democratic beliefs and a democratic culture has been closely associated with a market economy; it is a highly favorable condition for the consolidation of democratic institutions. Where most economic enterprises are WHY DEMOCRACY HAS SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD The 20th century turned out to be the Century of Democratic Triumph. That triumph should be viewed with caution. In many countries the basic political institutions are weak or defective. It is reasonable to wonder whether democratic successes will be sustained in the twenty-first century. The answer depends on how well democratic countries meet their challenges. One of these arises directly from the contradictory consequences of market-capitalism.