COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Module 5: DEMOCRACY & DEMOCRATIZATION

Module Title: Module 5: DEMOCRACY & DEMOCRATIZATION

Course Title: Comparative Government and Politics
Course Number: Soc. Stud 118

Total Learning Time: 1 week

Overview:

WELCOME TO MODULE 5!

In this module you will explore the process of democratization, the factors that advanced
its growth and the challenges that stunted it in some cases. You will also see some examples
of the process undergone by some nations. At the end, you are expected to reflect on your
own country’s process of democratization.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the module, students must have:

1. Defined democracy and democratization.

2. Given examples of the way in which some countries historically became
democratic nations.
3. Reflected on the democratization process in the history of one’s country.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

 Democracy and democratization

 Processes and examples of democratization
 Waves of democracy
 Political institutions of modern representative democracy

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COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Module 5: DEMOCRACY & DEMOCRATIZATION

DEMOCRACY AND DEMOCRATIZATION

TO READ

Let us review first what is democracy. As you have tackled in your previous lessons in
high school, democracy refers to the rule of majority. The term "democracy" comes from two
Greek words: "demos" (the people) and ""kratia" (power or authority). So of
course DEMOCRACY is a form of government that gives power to the people. But how, when,
and to which people? The answer to those questions changes through history. There are two
major types of democracy:

1. Direct democracy: a form of democracy in which people vote on policy initiatives

directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for
representatives who then vote on policy initiatives.
2. Representative democracy: a variety of democracy founded on the principle of
elected people representing a group of people.

Democratization is 'the transition to a more democratic system of government.' Historically,

democratization has been kicked off by several factors. Higher wealth throughout the
population gives more people economic equality, which often turns to a desire for political
equality. Greater education, especially literate populations, are more likely to think, read, and
write about their rights, and are more likely to encourage democratization. Healthy
economies, lengthy periods of peace, good international relations, industrial technology,
cultural values, and even the growth of a middle class have all been proposed to influence
the move towards democratization.

PROCESSES AND EXAMPLES OF DEMOCRATIZATION

Let's look at a few historical examples. In Great Britain, which was an absolute
monarchy for a long time, democratization began with the formation of an
elected parliament, a legislative body that removed some power from the king. The
Parliament was first formed in 1215, at which point only lords could be elected. The British
Parliament changed several times over the centuries, continually moving towards a more
democratic system that represented the needs of the people and took absolute authority
away from the monarch. This does not mean that it was a smooth transition. Democratization
is very rarely a smooth process and, in Great Britain, monarchs often tried to reclaim their
absolute authority, leading to a few major civil wars. The one that really finalized Britain's
dedication to democratization was the Glorious Revolution of 1688, after which the
victorious Parliament forced the king to accept a Bill of Rights.

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COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Module 5: DEMOCRACY & DEMOCRATIZATION

So, democratization can be messy, and sometimes democracy will be embraced,

rejected, and embraced again before it sticks. That's what happened in Japan. When Japan
started to develop an industrial economy in the late 19th century, minor democratic reforms
were established, creating Japan's version of a parliament called the National Diet. Then, in
the early 20th century, those reforms were expanded and Japan became even more
democratic. And then, a new emperor rose to power and reclaimed his absolute authority.
Japan moved away from democracy until the end of WWII resulted in a new constitution that
guaranteed democratic rights and elevated the National Diet to be more powerful than the
emperor.
In the U.S., American colonists claim that they were not receiving fair representation
in the government, so democracy was very important to the founding figures. But democracy
in America wasn’t perfect. At the end of the American Revolution in 1783, only free white
males could vote. Much later in 1865, in order to make the democratic process accessible to
black males, a Civil War was fought. And it wasn't until 1920 that women could vote in the
United States. So, at least American democracy was perfect by the early 20th century, right?
Not really. While African Americans could legally vote, racially prejudiced laws (called the Jim
Crow Laws) and a culture of intimidation and violence prevented many black populations
from really being able to vote until the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Democratization
is not as simple as it seems, and there is always work to be done.

WAVES OF DEMOCRACY
The three waves of democracy:
A wave of democracy refers to a major surge of democracy in history. According to
Seva Gunitsky, these waves are caused by "abrupt shifts in the distribution of power among
leading states create unique and powerful incentives for sweeping domestic reforms." Seva
Gunitsky has referred to 13 waves from the 18th century to the Arab Spring (2011-2012).
Samuel P. Huntington defined three waves of democratization that have taken place
in history. The first one brought democracy to Western Europe and Northern America in the
19th century. It was followed by a rise of dictatorships during the Interwar period. The second
wave began after World War II, but lost steam between 1962 and the mid-1970s. The latest
wave began in 1974 and is still ongoing. Democratization of Latin America and the
former Eastern Bloc is part of this third wave.
An example of a region which passed through all the three waves of democratization
is the Middle East. During the 15th century it was a part of the Ottoman Empire. In the 19th
century, "when the empire finally collapsed towards the end of the First World War, the
Western armies finally moved in and occupied the region". This was an act of both European
expansion and state-building in order to democratize the region. However, what Posusney
and Angrist argue is that, "the ethnic divisions are those that are complicating the U.S. effort
to democratize Iraq". This raises interesting questions about the role of combined foreign and
domestic factors in the process of democratization. In addition, Edward Said labels as
'orientalist' the predominantly Western perception of "intrinsic incompatibility between
democratic values and Islam". Moreover, he states that "the Middle East and North Africa
lack the prerequisites of democratization"

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COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS Module 5: DEMOCRACY & DEMOCRATIZATION

THE POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS OF MODERN REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY

Briefly, the political institutions of modern representative democratic government are:
 Elected officials. Control over government decisions about policy is constitutionally
vested in officials elected by citizens.
 Free, fair and frequent elections. Elected officials are chosen in frequent and fairly
conducted elections in which coercion is comparatively uncommon.
 Freedom of expression. Citizens have a right to express themselves without danger of
severe punishment on political matters broadly defined, including criticism of officials,
the government, the regime, the socioeconomic order, and the prevailing ideology.
 Access to alternative sources of information. Citizens have a right to seek out
alternative and independent sources of information from other citizens, experts,
newspapers, magazines, books, telecommunications, and the like.
 Associational autonomy. To achieve their various rights, including those required for
the effective operation of democratic political institutions, citizens also have a right to
form relatively independent associations or organizations, including independent
political parties and interest groups.
 Inclusive citizenship. No adult permanently residing in the country and subject to its
laws can be denied the rights that are available to others. These include the right to
vote in free and fair elections; to run for elective office; to free expression; to form and
participate in independent political organizations; to have access to independent
sources of information; and rights to other liberties and opportunities that maybe
necessary to the effective operation of the political institutions of large – scale
democracy.

ASSESSMENT

DIRECTION: Answer the following question in essay format.

1. Reflect on the history of Philippine’s system of government focusing on the process of

democratization. Briefly describe the kind of government in each period (Spanish,
American, Japanese, Philippine Independence up to present). In your essay describe the
kind of democracy the Philippines had adopted and the factors that led to this system of
government. In short, your essay should focus on how the Philippines develop into a
democratic nation and the factors that led to it. Limit your essay up to maximum of 3 pages
only with size 12 font. Good luck!

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