Democracy and Democratization

Following the collapse of the former regimes of Eastern and Central Europe and Latin America the choice of all of the democratising countries was to move towards liberal democracy. Likewise in Africa, many authoriatarian regimes seem to be in retreat, perhaps most significantly in South Africa. Democracy seems to be the only valued political system of the late twentieth century, so that even China for example, describes itself as the people's democratic dictatorship. So have we really, as Francis Fukuyama suggested, reached the end of history? Should we not look seriously at the tension between liberalism and democracy which have led to dissatisfaction with the liberal model in countries such as Britain and France? Is it not important to discuss the real problems of stabilisation and survival which the democratising countries are experiencing? This timely collection examines questions of central concern to scholars and practitioners of politics. It looks at both the concept of democracy and the process of democratisation, combining theoretical chapters by historians of ideas and political theorists, with empirical chapters on the process of democratisation in Eastern Europe, China, The Middle East and Latin America, as well as in established democracies such as Britain and France.

Geraint Parry is W J M Mackenzie Professor of Government at the University of Manchester. He has published on political theory, political sociology and the history of ideas. Michael Moran is Professor of Government at the University of Manchester. His teaching and research interests lie in the field of comparative public policy.

Introduction: problems of democracy and democratization, Geraint Parry, Michael Moran; Part I Theories and explanations; Chapter 1 Democracy's Mythical Ordeals: the Procrustean and Promethean paths to popular self-rule, Robert Wokler; Chapter 2 Making democrats: education and democracy, Geraint Parry; Chapter 3 Democracy and the ends of Marxism, Norman Geras; Chapter 4 Democratization and qualified explanation, Alistair Edwards; Part II States of democracy; Chapter 5 The painful return to normality, Ghi?a lonescu; Chapter 6 Voice, choice and loyalty: democratization in Eastern Europe, Michael Waller; Chapter 7 Democratization in China: structural constraints, Flemming Christiansen; Chapter 8 Democratization and citizenship in Latin America, Paul Cammack; Chapter 9 Staying at home with the wife: democratization and its limits in the Middle East, David Pool; Chapter 10 Between 'majoritarian' and 'consensus' democracy: the case of the French Fifth Republic, Jill Lovecy; Chapter 11 Democracy and democratization in Great Britain, Ian Holliday; Part III Conclusion; Chapter 12 Democracy and democratization, Geraint Parry, Michael Moran;