Democratic Institution Performance (eBook, PDF)

Research and Policy Perspectives
Redaktion: McMahon, Edward R.; Sinclair, Thomas

• Format: PDF

Produktbeschreibung

How do nations make successful transitions to democracies? Our understanding of how democracy functions-and under what circumstances it can be consolidated and strengthened-remains highly uneven. Recent events underscore the critical importance of expanding our understanding of democratic institutions and operations. Here McMahon and his distinguished contributors demonstrate how the dynamic process of democratization is shaped by the specific contexts in which it occurs; how the internal community plays a key role in the development of democracy; and how the ability to understand democratization requires both internal and external perspectives.

The contributors seek to improve the definitions of what constitutes a democracy and to determine how the effectiveness of democratic institutions might best be judged in order to better serve the analysis of and policy approaches to building democratic institutions. With fewer overtly authoritarian states in the post-Cold War world, a wealth of raw information and experience has begun to accumulate. Our understanding of democratic institutional performance requires us to look closely at the performance of the institutions themselves. The book contains chapters on public opinion, civil society, domestic institutions of governance, elections, globalization, international standards of democratic development, international assistance and academic research. A concluding chapter summarizes what democratization processes can teach us about democracy in a broader context.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury Publishing Inc
• Seitenzahl: 280
• Erscheinungstermin: 30. Dezember 2002
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9780313013270
• Artikelnr.: 72271827

Autorenporträt

EDWARD R. MCMAHON is Dean's Professor of Applied Politics and Director, Center on Democratic Performance, Department of Political Science, State University of New York, Binghamton. THOMAS SINCLAIR is Director and Assistant Professor of the Master in Public Administration Program, State University of New York, Binghamton.

Inhaltsangabe

Introduction Introduction The Paradox of Democracy by Edward R. McMahon and
Brian Nussbaum Domestic Aspects of Democracy Political Parties and Civil
Society: Learning from the American Case by Kristi Andersen Assessing Civil
Society Performance: The Interface of Concept and Practice by John W.
Harbeson Wide But Shallow: Popular Support for Democracy in Africa by
Michael Bratton Shariacracy and Federal Models in the Era of Globalization:
Nigeria in Comparative Perspective by Ali A. Mazrui The French Revolution
and Transitional Justice by Howard G. Brown External Aspects of
Democratization Transition Elections as End or Means? Lessons for Democracy
Assistance from Domestic Election Monitoring by Eric Bjornlund
International Standards and Democratization: Certain Trends by Elizabeth
Spiro Clark Elections to End Conflict: War Termination, Democratization,
and International Policy by Terrence Lyons The Impact of Democratization
and Economic Globalization on Worker' Rights: A Comparative Analysis by
David L. Cingranelli Globalization and Democratic Performance in Low Income
Nations by Nicolas van de Walle Research and Practice in Democratization:
Cross-fertilization or Cross Purposes? by Harry Blair The Research-Policy
Nexus and United States Democracy Assistance by Shaheen Mozaffar
Conclusion The Art of Democratic Crafting and Its Limits by Edward Friedman
Bibliography Index