How instability creates stability: the survival of democracy in Vanuatu

While political stability is one of the core concepts in science, its precise meaning remains ambiguous. This paper draws a distinction between regime stability, signifying endurance types, and which refers to life span governments. Both these are positively associated with democratic rule, but this connection can be questioned as democracy survive face profound instability. The develops arguments on basis case study Vanuatu, Melanesian small island state that most unlikely democracies world. In tremendous socio-cultural fragmentation instability, Vanuatu’s has remained intact, country represents perplexing combination extreme instability coupled high stability. Based fieldwork mainly consisting interviews ni-Vanuatu elites, analysis shows have likely contributed they prevented concentration power hands single group. By highlighting discrepancy provides crucial insights for debates about countries across Global South.