Democratization - Couverture souple

Couverture souple

ISBN 10 : 0745618154 ISBN 13 : 9780745618159

Editeur : Polity Press, 1997

Synopsis

Book by None

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

In 1760 no polity in the world was democratic in any way we wouldnow recognize. In 1995 there were democratic states on everycontinent and in every region. The struggle to create, sustain, andentrench democratic political systems is one of the centralnarratives of modernity. Democratization is the firsttextbook comprehensively to survey, explore and engage with thisstory.

In Part I, the introduction to the book as a whole, an overviewand elaboration is offered of the key explanatory models ofdemocratization; this section also refines the description of aregime′s democratic status and explores the models and strategiesof comparative analysis used in the book. While each of thesubsequent twenty chapters can stand on their own, they have allbeen framed by a shared engagement with and discussion of thedynamics of democratization set out here.

Part II surveys the course of democratization in the West from1760 to 1989, examining both the early breakthroughs of the Frenchand American Revolutions and the inter–war crisis of Europeandemocracy. The post–war era is covered by discussions of the impactof World War II, the democratic revolutions in Southern Europe andthe struggle of the American Civil Rights movement.

Part III examines the experience of Latin America and Asia. TheLatin American case is covered in two chapters stretching from the1930′s to the 1990′s. In the Asia section the comparativetrajectories of Asia′s two giants – China and India – arecontrasted with the experience of East Asia′s original tigers(Taiwan and South Korea) and more recent industrializing states(Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia).

In Part IV the relative weakness of democratization in Africaand the Middle East is interrogated. Surveys of the Middle East andsub–Saharan Africa are complemented by individual case studies(Israel–Palestine and South Africa) and a synoptic examination ofthe relationship between Islamic culture, society anddemocracy.

In Part V, the democratic revolutions of 1989 and theiraftermath are examined in chapters on Eastern Europe and Russia.The enmeshment of these processes of democratization withnationalist struggles are highlighted in a study of formerCzechoslovakia and Yugoslavia while the particular course of theremaining socialist states is examined in a chapter onVietnam.

Finally, the conclusion both reviews the regional variations indemocratization and considers the pressing question of howdemocracies once created can be sustained.

Democratization will provide students and teachers withan invaluable and engaging resource for examining the complex fateof democratic politics across the world.

Quatrième de couverture

This is the first textbook comprehensively to explore and explainthe story of democratization in the modern world.

In Part I, democratization is defined and the theoricalapproaches, explanatory factors and comparative methods usedthroughout the book are introduced. Each of the subsequent twentychapters can stand on its own, but all have been framed by theexplanatory framework set out here.

Part II surveys the course of democratization in Europe and theUSA from 1760 to 1989. It examines the early breakthrough of theFrench and American revolutions, the inter–war crises of Europeandemocracy, the impact of the Second World War on European politiesand the struggle of the Civil Rights Movement in the USA.

Latin America and Asia are considered in Part III. Two chaptersaddress the distinctive story of democratization in Latin Americagenerally from the 1930s to the 1990s. The Asia chapters explainthe political trajectories of India, China, South Korea, Taiwan,Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The relative weakness of democratization in sub–Saharan Africaand the Middle East is interrogated in Part IV. Explanations of thegeneral patterns of democratization in the two regions arecomplemented by individual case studies of South Africa and Israel.There is also a synoptic consideration of the relationship betweenIslam and democracy.

Part V tackles the democratic revolutions of 1989 and theiraftermath in Eastern Europe, Russia and other states. Theenmeshment of these processes of democratization with nationaliststruggles is highligted in a study of Czechoslovkia and Yugoslavia,while the particular course of the remaining socialist states isexamined in a chapter on Vietnam.

Finally, the conclusion both reviews the regional variations ofdemocratization and considers the pressing question of howdemocracies onece created can be sustained.

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: Polity Press
• Date d'édition: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0745618154
• ISBN 13: 9780745618159
• Reliure: Broché
• Nombre de pages: 560
• Éditeur: Potter David, Goldblatt David, Kiloh Margaret, Lewis Paul