consolidation plan for today

Consolidation Plan for Today

1. Distinguish among definitions of consolidation.

2. Understand what consolidation does not imply.

3. Survey authors’ claims on tasks/ areas of consolidation in new democracies.

4. Critically assess consolidation concept.

“Two-turnover test”: two elections occur with peaceful changes of parties in power.

Consolidation (Huntington):

Must use non-circular definition (separate from stability).Process of achieving broad regime legitimation among elites and masses. Indicated when:

• At mass level indicated 70-75% of citizens believe democracy best system and

• < 15% reject democracy as desirable system.

Consolidation (Diamond):

Russian lack of democratic legitimacy polling data (Levada Centre, Moscow)

What consolidation is not about (Linz & Stepan)1. Consolidation doesn’t mean

regime won’t become unconsolidated at some point.

2. Quality of democracy different from consolidation and different kinds of democracy possible.

Necessary Developments to Promote Consolidation(Linz & Stepan, Diamond)

Arenas of regime that must develop for consolidation(Linz & Stepan)

1. Civil society2. Political society3. Rule of law4. State bureaucracy5. Economic society

Tasks to Foster Consolidation(Diamond)1. Democratic deepening.2. Political institutionalization.3. Regime performance.

Democratic Deepening

1. Making formal institutions more liberal, accountable, representative, accessible.

2. No illiberal, electoral democracies during third wave have achieved consolidation.

1. E.g. Russia, Venezuela: deconsolidation.

Political Institutionalization

1. Movement to routinized, predictable patterns of political behavior around common rules and procedures.

2. 3 types of institutions involved:1. State apparatus.2. Institutions of democratic

representation and governance.3. Structures that ensure rule of law.

Regime PerformanceEconomic Performance1. Long record of economic

performance can build “reservoir of legitimacy” to weather crises.

2. Cannot be widespread perception that few are benefiting disproportionately.

1. E.g. Mexico, Russia, South Africa.

3. Economic hardship generally doesn’t topple democracies.

Regime PerformancePolitical Performance People care about political goods as

well as economic.1. Order: physical safety, peace.2. Prestige of country in international

affairs (sometimes).3. Political freedom, accountability,

lack of corruption.

Is Consolidation an Appropriate Concept?

Problems with the concept of consolidation

1. How can consolidated democracies become deconsolidated?

Problems with the concept of consolidation

2. How do we know when threshold of consolidation is crossed?

How many people have to believe and how strongly?

Problems with the concept of consolidation

3. Teleological aspect. Assumption that events are

naturally meant to follow this path.

Mirroring modernization theory. Unclear where definition of

consolidation comes from.

Problems with the concept of consolidation

4. Persistence of stable unconsolidated regimes.

“Delegative democracies” (O’Donnell).

Problems with the concept of consolidation

5. Definition of institutionalization (O’Donnell).

“Institution”: “regularized pattern of interaction that is known, practiced, and accepted by actors…” (O’Donnell)

Problems with the concept of consolidation

5. Definition of institutionalization (O’Donnell).

Neglect of strong informal institutions. E.g. Patron-client relations.

Problems with the concept of consolidation

Solution may be to develop typologies of democracy, without assuming stages to consolidation.

E.g. (Collier & Levitsky) “Electoral” democracy. “Delegative” democracy. “Limited” democracy. “De facto one-party” democracy.