The meaning of democracy

Modern usage of “democracy” dates back to revolutionary upheavals in Western society at the end of the 18th
century. In the late 20th century, three general approaches have emerged in debates over the meaning of
democracy 1) Democracy as a source of government authority 2) Democracy as the purpose served by
government 3) Democracy as the procedures for constituting government.

The Waves of Democratization

There have been three waves of democratization, the first two followed by limited reversals of that progress.

First wave (1828-1926): This wave had its roots in the American and French revolutions. The agricultural
revolution took thousands of years to play out. Today the First Wave has virtually subsided.

First reverse wave (1922-42). This period was characterized by a shift away from democracy toward
traditional authoritarian or new ideologically-driven, mass-based totalitarian regimes.

Second wave (1943-62): Allied occupation post-WWII encouraged democratization in former Axis powers.
Meanwhile, the beginning of the end of Western colonial rule produced a number of new states with
democratic tendencies.

Second reverse wave (1958-75). Especially in Latin America, political development in the early 1960s took
on an authoritarian cast. The decolonization of Africa led to the largest multiplication of authoritarian
government in history.

Third wave (1974- present): Democratic regimes start to replace authoritarian and considerable liberalization
occurs in authoritarian regimes. This takes place in every region of the world and is intensified by the fall of
Communism.

Civilization phase or waves can be divided into three major phases:

Each wave, or civilization phase, develops its own "super-

ideology," or Zeitgeist, with which it explains reality and justifies
its own existence.

The ‘Third Wave’ of democratization

A wave of democratization, originating in Portugal and Spain in the 1970s, swept across the developing world
in the 1980s and 1990s. This so-called ‘Third Wave’ (Huntington, 1991) moved across Latin America and
Eastern Europe, and later Asia and Africa. The transformation in the nature of political regimes was
remarkable: while within 1974 and 1990 30 countries made transitions to democracy. Democratization can be
understood as a process subdivided into three phases: (i) the liberalization phase, when the previous
authoritarian regime opens up or crumbles; (ii) a transition phase, often culminating when the first
competitive elections are held; and (iii) the consolidation phase, when democratic practices are expected to
become more firmly established and accepted by most relevant actors (O’Donnell and Schmitter, 1986; Linz
and Stepan, 1996).
Causes of democracy’s wave

The factors that lead to the changes in independent variables in the 1960s and 1970s produced the dependent
variable of a democratizing regime change in the 1970s and 1980s are as follow

1. Deepening legitimacy problems of authoritarian systems

2. Global economic growth of the 1960s

3. Changing doctrine of the Catholic Church

4. Changes in the policies of external actors

5. Snowballing effects

1. Legitimacy Problems

Legitimacy problems Post WWII – prevailing democratic “ethos” developed throughout the world. Even
authoritarian regimes increasingly used democratic rhetoric to justify their legitimacy. Poor economic
performance and military failures undermined legitimacy of authoritarian regimes, b/c they had no
“procedural legitimacy” to change policies, as in democracies.

2. Economic Crisis:

The unprecedented global economic growth of the 1960s which raised living standards, increased education,
and greatly expanded the urban middle class in many countries.

Democracy indicates that democratic transitions should occur in countries at middle level of development.

3. Religious Changes

There is a correlation between Western Christianity (esp. Protestantism) and democracy. Most prominent case
of expansion of Christianity in third wave democracies is South Korea, where post WWII just 1% of
population was Christian, by mid 1980s 25% Christian. Churches became principal forum for opposition to
military regime and helped achieve transition to democracy in 1988.Changes in political alignment of Roman

4. External Actors

New Policies of External Actors By late 1980s, major sources of power and influence – Vatican, European
Community (EC), U.S. and Soviet Union – were promoting liberalization and democratization.

The European Community EC officially formed in 1969, first expansion in 1973. To be a member, countries
had to be democratic. Membership also helped prevent regression to authoritarianism. Conference on
Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), Helsinki Final Act influenced development of human rights and
democracy in Europe, particularly by helping to foster openings in Eastern Europe.

5. Snowballing

Successful democratization occurs in one country and this encourages democratization in other countries.
General role of demonstration effects in the third wave is more important in 3rd wave than in first 2 waves
because of improved communication. Secondly despite this demonstration effects still strongest among
countries that were geographically close and culturally similar. Most dramatic snowballing is seen in Eastern
Europe in 1989. At the end of the 1980s, demonstration effects influenced countries where other conditions
for democracy were weak or absent
Results of the democracy’s wave:

The spread of literacy

Improvement of roads and transport

A widening split between consumer and producer

A new social character: industrial man

Dependence of survival on money

Creation of the nuclear family

Factory-like schools

Man's image of the world controlled by mass media

Most people work for a big corporation

Successive generations grew taller than their parents

Nakedness came to be regarded as shameful--invention of nightclothes

Eating became technologized--diffusion of forks and other specialized table implements

Damage to the earth's fragile biosphere

Enslavement of Indians -- imperialism