LIBERAL AND ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY

READINGS

Smith, Democracy, chs. 9-11

Modern Latin America, ch. 4 (Central America)

NB: Optional paper due May 28

ANALYTICAL PAPER

8-10 pages (double-spaced)Prior approval of topic by TAkdove@ucsd.edu

Define a question or “puzzle”Explain choice of country (or site)Describe sourcesPresent evidenceConclude with (tentative) answer to question

DETECTING ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY

The Rise of Electoral Democracy, 1972-2004

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Year

N C

ou

ntr

ies

Autocracy

Semidemocracy

Democracy

THE CONCEPT OF ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY

• Distinct Dimensions of Democracy: Free and Fair Elections Citizen Rights

• Systematic Curtailment of Citizen Rights

Democracy, Elections, and Citizen Rights: A Typology

Citizen Rights Character of Elections

Free and Fair Free not Fair None

Expansive Liberal Democracy Liberal/Permissive Semidemocracy

(Null)

Limited Illiberal Democracy Illiberal/Restrictive Semidemocracy

ModerateDictablanda

Minimal (Null) Repressive Semidemocracy

Hard-LineDictadura

Journalists Killed in Latin America, 1990-1999

Country___ __ N Killings__Colombia 36Peru 12Mexico 10Brazil 8Haiti 4Argentina 3Guatemala 3Venezuela 2Chile 1Dominican Republic 1Honduras 1Paraguay 1

Total 82

Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, Attacks on the Press in 1999 (New York: CPJ, 2000), 23.

Electoral Regimes and Freedom of the Press, 1990s

_________________Regime____________________ Press____ Autocracy Semi-Democracy Democracy Not Free 1 5 2 Partly Free 1 26 51 Free 0 0 47

Totals 2 31 100

• FH scores of 1-2 = Extensive

• FH scores of 3-4 = Partial

• FH scores of 5-7 = Minimal

CLASSIFYING CITIZEN RIGHTS (Freedom House scales for “Civil Liberties”)

Table 1-2. Electoral Regimes and Civil Liberties, 1970s-2000 1972-79 Electoral Type Status of Civil Liberties* Dictatorship Semi-Democracy Democracy Minimal 22 0 0 Partial 88 3 10 Expansive 0 1 28 Totals 110 4 38

gamma = +.994

*Categorized as follows: Expansive=Freedom House scores of 1 or 2; Partial – Freedom House scores of 3-5; Minimal=Freedom House scores of 6-7.

1980-1989

________________Regime___________________Civil Liberties___ Autocracy Semi-Democracy Democracy

Minimal 15 1 0 Partial 59 30 41 Extensive 1 4 39

Totals 75 35 80

1990-2000

_________________Regime_________________Civil Liberties___ Autocracy Semi-Democracy Democracy

Minimal 3 0 0 Partial 4 53 109 Extensive 0 2 38

Totals 7 55 147

Figure 10-1. The Progression of Illiberal Democracy, 1970s-2000

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1972-79 1980-89 1990-2000

Period

Per

cent

Partial Civil Liberties

Expansive Civil Liberties

Political Regimes in 1999: Countries and Population

N %Regime Type___ __Countries__ __Population__

Liberal Democracy 3 <5

Illiberal Democracy 11 60

Illiberal Semi-Democracy 5 33

Autocracy 1 2

Liberal and Illiberal Democracy, 1978-2004

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1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004

Year

N De

moc

raci

es Illiberal

Liberal

AND NOW…?

Liberal Democracy (n=7) Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Panama,

Uruguay

Illiberal Democracy (n=7) Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru

Illiberal Semidemocracy (n=5) Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Venezuela

Authoritarian (1) Cuba

Why Illiberal Democracy?

In case of center and center-right democracies, the illiberal regimes: Protect elite interests Control the popular masses Under the rubric of free and fair elections Thus gaining international approval.

In case of progressive “new left” regimes, the opposition: Has the money Has control of the press Does not play by democratic rules

SO WHAT? CYCLES OF MASS POLITICS

Unfettered and “dangerous” democracy (e.g., reformists + Allende) [1950s-]

Military coups and authoritarian regimes [1960s-]

Democracy contained [1980s-]: Neoliberal economics, Washington

consensus Institutional constraints (e.g. MRO) Illiberal democracy

Rise of the “new Left” [1990s-]

The End