1 Lahore University of Management Sciences POL 421 Theories of Democratic Transition Spring 2010-11 Instructor: Rasul Bakhsh Rais Office Hours: TBA Office No: 239-E E-Mail: rasul@lums.edu.pk Course Description Democracy is no longer a western ideal, but a universal value that societies with different cultures, histories, political experiences and social structures have increasingly embraced. The fast growth of democracy in a wider mix of societies has put into questions many of the old theories of democratization, and has generated fresh ideas, debates and controversies about the modes, processes and the role of elites and civil society groups in bringing about democratic transition. This course will cover contemporary literature on democratic transition with a close focus on the Third Wave. We will start with an overview of the debate on social requisites of democracy, background factors, and modernization theory. They will be critiqued in the light of new theories based on empirical evidence from Latin America and East European countries that reject cultural explanations. The question of compatibility between Islam and democracy has generated more heat than light and the literature is largely polemical with very few exceptions. We will raise the question why Muslim societies have not made transition to democracy and under what conditions they are likely to do so? And what role external factors can or should play in developing democracy around the world, including Islamic states? Objectives of the Course Give students deep theoretical understanding of political transformations associated with democratic change Familiarize students with different theoretical strands and comparative studies to understand the process of democratic transition and how it can be brought about Make students think critically about the process of modernization, and how and why democracy is making transition from a western political and philosophical tradition to a universal ideal. Course Requirements: Students are expected to read all the required material before coming to class and actively participate in the discussion. Students will be a required to write TWO review papers and one long term paper.
2 Grading 1. Attendance 5 2. Class participation 10% 3. Two review papers 20% 4. Mid-term 35% 5. Term paper 30% Week 1 Introduction: What Makes Democracy? 1. Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Indefinite perfectibility of man, equality and individualism. 2. Robert H. Dix, History and Democracy Revisited Comparative Politics, Vol. 27, No. 1, October 1994, pp. 91-105. Week 2 What Matters In Democratic Transition? 1. Symour Martin Lipset, The Social Requisites of Democracy Revisited: 1993 Presidential Address, American Sociological Review, V. 59, N. 1 (Feb. 1994), pp. 1-22. 2. Dankwart A. Rustow, Transition to Democracy: Toward a Dynamic Model, Comparative Politics, V. 2, N. 3 (Apr., 1970), pp. 337-363. 3.Jacek Kugler and Yi Feng, Explaining and Modeling Democratic Transitions, The Journal of Conflict Resolution, V. 43, N. 2 (Apr., 1999), pp. 139-146. 4. Mark Peceny, The Social Construction of Democracy, International Studies Review, V. 1., N. 1 (Spring 1999), pp. 95-102. Week 3 The Third Wave of Democratization 1. Samuel P. Huntington, Democracy s Third Wave Journal of Democracy Spring, 1991. 2. Doh Chull Shin, On the Third Wave of Democratization: A Synthesis and Evaluation of Recent Theory and Research World Politics, Vol. 47, No. 1, October 1994, pp. 135-170. 3. Linda Kirschke, Informal Representation, Zero-Sum Politics and Late Third Wave Transitions The Journal of Modern African Studies, Vol. 38, No. 3, September 2000, pp. 383-405. Week 4 Economic Development and Democracy 1. Jose Nun, Democracy and Modernization, Thirty Years later Latin American Perspectives, Vol. 20, No. 4, Autumn, 1993, pp. 7-27. 2. Edward N. Muller, Economic Determinants of Democracy, American Sociological Review, V. 60 (Dec., 1995), pp. 966-982.
3 2. Zehra F. Arat, Democracy and Economic Development: Modernization Theory Revisited, Comparative Politics, V. 21, N. 1 (Oct., 1988), pp. 21-36. 3. Adam Przeworski and Fernando limongi, Modernization: Theories and Fact, World Politics, V. 49, N. 2 (1997), pp. 155-183. Week 5 Culture and Democracy 1. Ronald Inglehart, Culture and Democracy, in Lawrence Harrison and Samuel Huntington, eds., Culture Matters (NY: Basic Bookds, 2000), pp. 80-97. 2. Fareed Zakaria, Culture is Destiny: A Conversation with Lee Kuan Yew, Foreign Affairs, V. 73, N. 2 (March/April 1994). 3. Kim Dae Jung, Is Culture Destiny? The Myth of Asia s Anti-Democratic Values, Foreign Affairs, V. 73, N. 6 (November/December 1994). 4. Laura Desfor Edles, Rethinking Democratic Transition: A Culturalist Critique and the Spanish Case, Theory and Society, V. 24, N. 3 (Jun., 1995), pp. 355-384. 5. Marvin G. Weinbaum, Civic Culture and Democracy in Pakistan Asian Survey, Vol. 36, No. 7, July 1996, pp. 639-654. Week 6 Civil Society and Democracy 1. Robert Putnam, Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy (Princeton: PUP, 1993), Chapter 1 (Studying Institutional Performance), Chapter 6 (Social Capital). 2. Hyeong-Ki Kwon, Associations, Civic Norms, and Democracy: Revisiting the Italian Case Theory and Society, Vol. 33, No. 2, April 2004, pp. 135-166. 3. John A. Booth and Patricia Bayer Richard, Civil Society, Political Capital, and Democratization in Central America,, The Journal of Politics, V. 60, N. 3 (Aug., 1998), pp. 780-800. 4. Sunhyuk Kim, State and Civil Society in South Korea s Democratic Consolidation: Is the Battle Really Over, Asian Survey, V. 37, N. 12 (Dec., 1997), pp. 1135-1144. Week 7 Social Capital and Democracy 1. Pemela Paxton, Social Capital and Democracy: An Interdependent Relationship, American Sociological Review, V. 67, N. 2 (Apr., 2002), pp. 254 277. 2. Kenneth Newton, Trust, Social Capital, Civil Society, and Democracy International Political Science Review, Vol. 22, No. 2, April 2001. pp. 201-214/ 3. Ronald la Due Lake and Robert Huckfeldt, Social, Social Networks, and Political Participation Political Psychology, Vol. 19, No. 3, September 1998, pp. 567-584. 4. Ji-Young Kim, Bowling Together Isn ta Cure-All: The Relationship between Social Capital and Political Trust in South Korea International Political Science Review, Vol. 26, No. 2, April 2005, pp. 193-213.
4 Week 8 Transition from Military Rule 1. Alex E. Fernandez Jilberto and Anibal Yanez, Military Bureaucracy, Political Opposition, and Democratic Transition Latin American Perspectives, Vol. 18, No. 1, Winter 1991, Pp. 33-65. 2. C. L. Arceneaux, Institutional Design, Military Rule, and Regime Transition in Argentina (1976-1983), Bulletin of Latin American Research, Vol. 16, No. 3, 1997, pp. 327-350 Mid-term Week 9 Modes of Democratic Transition 1. Gerardo L. Munck and Carol Skalnik Leff, Modes of Transition and Democratization: South America and Eastern Europe in Comparative Perspective, in Lisa Aneerson, ed., Transition to Democracy (New York: Columbia University Press, 1999). 2. Nancy Bermeo, Myth of Moderation: Confrontation and Conflict During Democratic Transition, in Anderson, Ibid. 3. Andreas Schedler, Common Sense without Common Ground: The Concept of Democratic Transition in Mexican Politics, Mexican Studies, V. 16, N. 2 (Summer, 2000), pp. 325-345. 4. Nancy Bermeo, Redemocratization and and Transition Elections: A Comparison of Spain and Portugal, Comparative Politics, V. 19, N. 2 (Jan., 1987), pp. 213-231. Week 10 Islam and Democracy 1. Frederic Volpi, Pseudo-Democracy in the Muslim World Third World Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 6, 2004, pp. 1061-1078. 2. Anna Seleny, Tradition, Modernity, and Democracy: The Many Promises of Islam Perspectives on Politics, Vo; 4, No. 3, September 2006. pp. 481-494. 3. M. Steven Fish, Islam and Authoritarianism World Politics, Vol. 55, No. 1, October 2002. pp. 4-37. 4. Fareed Zakaria, Islam, Democracy, and Constitutional Liberalism Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 119, No. 1, Spring 2004, pp. 1-20. Week 11 Islamist Parties and Democratic Discourses 1. Tamara Cofman Wittes, Three kinds of movements Journal of Democracy, Vol. 19, No. 3, July 2008. pp. 7-18. 2. Tarek Masoud, Are they democrats: Doest it matter? Journal of Democracy, Vol. 19, No. 3, July 2008. pp.19-24. 3. Ihsan Dagi, Turkey s AKP in power Journal of Democracy, Vol. 19, No. 3, July 2008. pp.25-30.
5 4. Bassam Tibi, Why they cannot be democratic Journal of Democracy, Vol. 19, No. 3, July 2008. pp.43-48. 5. Amr Hamzawy and Nathan J. Brown, A boon or a bane for democracy? Journal of Democracy, Vol. 19, No. 3, July 2008. pp. Week 12 Promoting Democracy 1. Gideon Rose, Democracy Promotion and American Foreign Policy: A Review Essay, International Security, V. 25, N. 3 (Winter, 2000-2001), pp. 186-203. 2. Thomas Carothers, Democracy Assistance: Political vs. Developmental Journal of Democracy, Vol. 20, No. 1, January 2009, pp. 5-19. 3. Jon C. Pevehouse, Democracy from the Outside-In? International Organizations and Democratization International Organization, Vol. 56, No. 3, summer 2002. pp. 515-549. Week 13 Globalization and Democracy 1. Nita Rudra, Globalization and the Strengthening of Democracy in the Developing World American Journal of Political Science, Vol. 49, No. 4, October 2005. pp. 704-730. 2. Quan Li and Rafael Reuveny, Globalization and Democracy: An Empirical Analysis British Journal of Political Science, Vol. 33, No. 1, January 2003. pp. 29-54. Week 14 Democratic Transition in Pakistan? 1. Larry P. Goodson, The 2008 Elections Journal of Democracy, Vol. 19, No. 4, October 2008, pp. 4-15. 2. Aqil Shah, Praetorianism and Terrorism Journal of Democracy, Vol. 19, No. 4, October 2008, pp. 16-25. 3. Zafarullah Khan and Brian Joseph, The Media Take Centre Stage Journal of Democracy, Vol. 19, No. 4, October 2008, pp. 32-37. 4. S. Akbar Zaidi, An Emerging Civil Society? Journal of Democracy, Vol. 19, No. 4, October 2008, pp. 38-40.