The Question of Democratic Consolidation in the Post Cold War World: In Search of a Theoretical Framework

Abstract

It has been widely accepted that political regimes have a positive impact on various issues, from the establishment of international peace to the creation of economic welfare. Within this framework, the crucial role democracy plays as a political regime in overcoming the global problems has been studied extensively. However, despite the optimism about the global diffusion of democracy in the post Cold War World, today numerous countries which finalized their democratic transition are far away from being consolidated democracies due to their fragilities and deficiencies. These regimes, which cannot be classified as full-fledged autocracies but fall far short of the standard definition of liberal democracy, have been occupying the agenda of democracy theorists. In this study, we explore three macro theories frequently emphasized in the literature to understand the conditions of democratic consolidation: Institutional approach, socio-economic models and cultural theories. In addition, international factors, which have recently become more and more noticeable, are included in this analysis as a fourth variable.

Keywords

Democratic Theory, Post Cold War Regimes, Democratic Consolidation, Regimes in Between, Theories of Democratic Consolidation.

Citation

Akgün, Birol and M. Cüneyt Özşahin, “The Question of Democratic Consolidation in the Post Cold War World: In Search of a Theoretical Framework”, International Relations, Volume 7, Issue 28 (Winter 2011), pp. 31-57.

Affiliations

• Birol Akgün, Prof. Dr., Selçuk University, Department of International Relations
• M. Cüneyt ÖZŞAHİN, Research Assistant, Selçuk University, Department of International Relations