Problems in paradise? Challenges to future democratization in democratic states
| Date | 01 January 2012 |
| Published date | 01 January 2012 |
| Author | Daniel Silander,Thomas Denk |
| DOI | 10.1177/0192512110393487 |
Article
International Political Science Review
33(1) 25–40
© The Author(s) 2011
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DOI: 10.1177/0192512110393487
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Corresponding author:
Thomas Denk, Department of Political Science, Åbo Akademi University, 20500 Åbo, Finland.
Email: thomas.denk@abo.fi
Problems in paradise? Challenges
to future democratization in
democratic states
Thomas Denk
Daniel Silander
Abstract
What are the challenges to future democratization in states regarded as democratic? This study shows
that some states that are traditionally regarded as democratic consist of political institutions in need of
further democratization. On average, states that are classified as democratic have one or two institutional
dimensions in need of further democratization. The main institutional dimensions in need of democratization
are functions of government, rule of law, personal autonomy and individual rights. In order to investigate
challenges to future democratization, the study presents a methodology that uses Freedom House Index and
Polity Index in a new innovative way.
Keywords
comparative method, democratization, Freedom House, political regimes, Polity
Introduction
Traditional research on democratization has almost exclusively focused on conditions within non-
democracies. Studies of democratic transition, which dominate the field, explore how and to what
extent political institutions in non-democratic states have been democratized. These studies review
the implementation of free and fair elections in non-democracies and examine how those elections
help democratize political systems in different states (Munck, 2007; O’Donnell and Schmitter,
1986). Another emerging line of research focuses on so called hybrid regimes, which are prevalent
in states that have developed political regimes with various combinations of democratic and non-
democratic institutions (Diamond, 2002; McFaul, 2002; Morlino, 2008a, 2009). Several of these
states have democratized, but not sufficiently enough to be considered democracies. Some studies
explore how differently those states combine free and fair elections, compared with institutions
26 International Political Science Review 33(1)
that strongly curtail political participation and civil rights (Ekman, 2009; Furman, 2007; Kuzio,
2005; Levitsky and Way, 2002; Morlino, 2008b; White, 2003). Studies of hybrid regimes and tran-
sitions illustrate how non-democratic states remain the focus of research on democratization.
There is a strong argument that studies on democratization should focus on current conditions
and pressing problems within non-democratic states. The assumption is that challenges to future
democratization exist within non-democracies, since those states are the arenas where extensive
democratization and its many challenges have played out. The traditional argument mentioned has
rendered the study of democratic states superfluous, which in turn has left unanswered the question
of whether certain institutions within states regarded as democracies may be in need of democratiz-
ing. This article will therefore focus on problems that exist within states considered democracies.
The overall question to be explored is: What are the challenges to future democratization in states
regarded as democratic?
It may seem tautological to apply criteria of democratic institutions when analyzing challenges
to future democratization in democratic states. However, this study will show that some states that
are traditionally regarded as democratic consist of political institutions in need of further democra-
tization. The main institutional dimensions in dire need of democratization are functions of govern-
ment, rule of law, personal autonomy and individual rights. A significant number of states are
‘partly free’ rather than ‘free’ when measured along these dimensions. The results raise questions
as to how comparative indexes of democracy (e.g. Freedom House Index and Polity Index) are
constructed and how a democratic (free) state is identified.
The purpose of this article is to make an empirical contribution to the discussion on the chal-
lenges to future democratization. The article will first present an overview on how challenges to
future democratization can be identified from different approaches. The article then presents a
method by which to measure democratic challenges. This method will be applied to a number of
empirical analyses to identify challenges to future democratization of states classified as democra-
cies. When applied, this methodology may alter our understanding of the challenges to future
democratization, as well as the accepted idea of the global victory of democracy. While some
democracies are not subject to challenges, the article will show that a significant number of them
face challenges that are both complex and profound. Lastly, the article analyzes the results and
relates them to contemporary discussions of future democratization.
Challenges to future democratization
Gerardo Munck (2007) identifies three main themes within research on democratization. The first
centers on the concept of democratic transition. As stated in the introduction, this theme has been
dominant in the literature. Studies on democratic transition analyze how political institutions trans-
form through democratization (O’Donnell and Schmitter, 1986). The second theme focuses on
democratic consolidation, which presumes that democratic institutions become ‘the only game in
town’ when neither institutions nor behavior or attitudes challenge the democratic way of govern-
ing (Di Palma, 1990; Linz and Stepan, 1996). The third theme, which according to Munck is sig-
nificant within the field of democratization, is based on the vague and ambiguous concept of
‘quality of government.’ Studies applying this theme recognize ‘aspects of democracy that extend
beyond the constitution of government and the question whether rulers gain access to office through
free and fair elections’ (Munck, 2007: 66). Examples of this include studies on how corruption and
the effectiveness of the judiciary influence democratization.
What emerge from this overview of democratization research are the different perspectives on
showing challenges to future democratization. Challenges in relation to democratic transition are
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