Democracies, autocracies and transitions (73220021FY)
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Democracies, Autocracies and Transitions full summary
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Democracies, autocracies and transitions (73220021FY)
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Universiteit Van Amsterdam (UvA)
This summary contains notes from all the lectures the University of Amsterdam gave for its Democracies, Autocracies and Transitions course (FY).
Description given by the University of Amsterdam: In the first part of the course we discuss theories and empirical research on the emergence, stabilit...
Democracies, autocracies and transitions (73220021FY)
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Democracies, autocracies and transition full notes
Lecture 1:
Why bother with democracy?
● Amartya Sen - Democracy as a universal value
○ The value of democracy
■ Intrinsic
■ Instrumental
■ Constructive
○ A country does not have to be deemed to be fit for democracy, rather it has to
become fit through democracy
■ Against economic or cultural preconditions for democracy
● Adam Przeworksi - Why bother with elections
○ Competitive elections as a mechanism by which we decide who will govern us
and how
○ When repeated, voters can express dissatisfaction with how they are
governed
○ For, in the end, elections are but a framework within which somewhat equal,
somewhat effective, and somewhat free people can struggle peacefully to
improve the world according to their different visions, values and interests.
● E.g. India
○ How does one explain the paradox of a democratic system continuing to
function in the midst of sharp social cleavages and large-scale violence
(Weiner 1989)
Democracy as a variable
● Democracy as outcome (DV) vs Democracy as cause (IV)
○ Democracy as a dependent variable (democracy stemming from):
■ Social structure
■ Economic conditions
■ Social forces
■ International forces
○ Democracy as an independent variable (democracy causing)
■ Economic performance
■ Social protection
■ Climate change
■ Peace
● Democracy -> growth
○ The Lee Hypothesis
○ Knutsen 2021
● Democracy -> climate change
○ Povetkina 2018
,About DAT
● Democracy as an outcome - constructing answers
○ Concepts
■ Definition
○ Theory
■ Links concepts
■ Simplifies and complicates
■ Clarifies agency
, Lecture 3:
Democracy, then and now
● Etymology
● Democracy as rule by the people
● But who, what, how, when and where?
● Early theoretical treatments
○ Plato, the republic
■ Government as the realm of expert
■ Democracy as a mob rule
○ Aristotle, the politics
■ Regime classification
● Number of rulers
● Exist in good and bad forms
○ Seen as susceptible to class warfare, unstable and dangerous
● Early experiments
○ Athenian democracy
■ Aristotle, constitution of the Athenians, Herodotus, Thucydides,
Xenophon
■ Suffrage for free, adult males
■ Free speech, political equality, direct participation
○ Early democracy
■ Council governance, village governance
● Ali and stasavage 2020, Koelbel and lipuma 2008, Parekh
1992
○ Democracy very different
■ E.g. Election by lot, and/or direct decision-making, and limited in
processes and size
● Shift in mid-19th century
○ French and American revolutions
○ Democracy as representative government
○ Rapid expansion
● Connection with Liberalism (Parekh 1992)
○ Emphasis on individual (one person, one vote)
○ Industrial revolution and expansion of capitalism
● Resistance to expansion of democracy, including from liberals
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