Democratic Transitions

On Demographic and Democratic Transitions

this essay considers the implications of the demographic transition for the emergence of modern democracy. although the idea of representative democracy was present in europe and north america in the late eighteenth century, here i am concerned with its realization—and this occurs much later. i argue that consideration of the demographic transition in western countries sheds light on what is so...

On the Democratic and Demographic Transitions

Inequality and Regime Change: Democratic Transitions and the Stability of Democratic Rule

Recent work by Carles Boix and Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson has focused on the role of inequality and distributive conflict in transitions to and from democratic rule. We assess these claims through causal process observation, using an original qualitative dataset on democratic transitions and reversions during the “third wave” from 1980 to 2000. We show that distributive conflict, a key c...

A Duration Analysis of Democratic Transitions and Authoritarian Backslides

Recent theories of political development have emphasized redistributive demands as the main drivers of democratic transitions and consolidation. The authors employ Cox duration models to evaluate a number of economic, institutionalist, and sociological theories of regime transition, using global data from 1970 to 1999. This study suggests that demands for redistribution are insufficient explana...

Tracing Channels of Influence on Democratic Transitions and Consolidation

How does aid impact democracy in sub-Saharan Africa? Drawing on existing literature, this study elaborates on the various channels, direct and indirect, through which development and democracy aid has influenced transitions to multi-party regimes and democratic consolidation within the region. The study’s findings are at least threefold. First, development aid was effective at promoting democra...