Response #2

I would like to highlight another common element present in many of the articles for this week. Most of the authors underscore the importance of political history, institutional legacies, the type of nondemocratic rule and other structural features in developing and maintaining a functioning and stable 'liberal' democracy.

Fareed Zakaria points out, "Every single country in the Third World that emerged from colonial rule since the Second World War with a population of at least one million (and almost all the smaller colonies as well) with a continuous democratic experience is a former British colony." This is the result, according to Zakaria, of Britain's emphasis on constitutional liberalism, law and administration and not an emphasis on democracy. With the majority of the 'third wave' of democracies shifting to Carothers' 'Gray zone', Zakaria notes, "Constitutional liberalism has led to democracy, but democracy does not seem to bring constitutional liberalism."

Among the five core assumptions that define the transitional period that Carothers examines, the fourth assumption states that, "the underlying conditions in transitional countries will not be major factors in either the onset or the outcome of the transition process." Carothers' disproves this assumption by noting that "Looking at the more successful recent cases of democratization, for example, which tend to be found in Central Europe, the Southern Cone, or East Asia, it is clear that relative economic wealth, as well as past experience with political pluralism, contributes to the chances for democratic success."

Levitsky and Way also note the importance of past institutions and structural features to the success of liberal democracy. They note, "Linkages to the West—in the form of cultural and media influence, elite networks, demonstration effects, and direct pressure from Western governments—appear to have raised the costs of authoritarian entrenchment, making the democratization of competitive authoritarian regimes more likely."

In today's age of fashionable democratic rule, a respectful and nuanced approach to tackling problems arising from the "hybrid" democracies must take into account the history of political, economic and institutional legacies of each country. Such an approach would appreciate the long and difficult progress countries must make in order to become successful democracies and would try to move beyond quick expectations that hinder democratic development.