ENGLISH

Democratization: A Critical Introduction

By Jean Grugel

Book information

Year
2002
ISBN
0333679687, 9780333679685, 9780230802193
Open Library ID
OL9329486M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
808 kB (827079 bytes)
Pages
289\287
Orientation
yes
Scanned
no
Time added
2011-06-04 13:46:07

Description

In 1989, observers of world politics became convinced that they were witnessing a new era: the global primacy of democracy. Governments committed to building democracy had taken office in a range of apparently unconnected countries, including Spain, Argentina, the Philippines, Poland and South Korea. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the pro-democracy demonstrations in China led to the belief that liberal democracy was now the only legitimate political ideology. This book offers a comprehensive and theoretically-informed introduction to democratization. Drawing on examples from Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia, it shows how global transformation made democratization possible and analyzes the processes of political change in key countries. However, democratization is a slow and painful business and many attempts have failed or stalled. This book shows how successful democratization requires not only a favorable international climate but also strong, dense and vibrant civil societies and a capable and flexible state.

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