Factors Supporting Democratization
... Some analysts have claimed that democracy fundamentally rests on the importance of a high standard of living in supporting democracy; others stress the role of political institutions or international factors. ... The greater the foundation is the better the probability of successful consolidation, and political culture is most important to this foundation supported by these factors. Of all the factors affecting democratization, I believe that political culture, elites, and international involvement, in descending order of importance, cause the greatest success in establishing democracy. The factors affecting democratization fall into three categories: structural conditions, process and elite decisions, and the interrelationships between structure and process. ... There appears to be no one process of democratization, but whatever agreement there is on how best to achieve a stable democracy favors slow incremental development. ... Not all such democratization is so gradual, and indeed many appear revolutionary. ... The process of democratization may also be carried out by the governing elite themselves, as has often happened in South America, and indeed, one will find authoritarian leaders that claim their rule is required to create the conditions for democracy. ... Elites influence political culture and civil society in reinforcing democratization. ... The support these three factors give to democratization can all be seen when looking at the United States of America. ... It is clearly visible how each in its own right is crucially important to democratization in new democracies.