The Tunisian Democratic Transition in Comparative Perspective
Multiple but Complementary, Not Conflictual, Leaderships: The Tunisian Democratic Transition in Comparative Perspective Alfred Stepan Downloaded from http://direct.mit.edu/daed/article-pdf/145/3/95/1830770/daed_a_00400.pdf by guest on 30 September 2021 Abstract: Many classic studies of leadership focus on strong leadership in the singular. This essay focuses on effective leaderships in the plural. Some of the greatest failures of democratic transitions (Egypt, Syria, Libya) have multiple but highly conflictual leaderships. However, a key lesson in democratization theory is that successful democratic transitions often involve the formation of a powerful coalition, within the op- position, of one-time enemies. This was accomplished in Chile, Spain, and Indonesia. In greater detail, this essay examines Tunisia, the sole reasonably successful democratic transition of the Arab Spring. In all four cases, religious tensions had once figured prominently, yet were safely transcended by the actions of multiple leaders via mutual ideological and religious accommodations, negotiated socioeconomic pacts, and unprecedented political cooperation. A multiplicity of cooperating leaders, rather than a single “strong leader,” produced effective democratic leadership in Tunisia, Indonesia, Spain, and Chile. ALFRED STEPAN, a Fellow of the American Academy since 1991, is Many of the classic studies of leadership focus on the Wallace Sayre Professor of Gov- strong leadership in the singular.1 In this essay, I focus ernment Emeritus at Columbia instead on effective leaderships in the plural, partic- University. He previously taught at ularly in democratic transitions. Some of the greatest Oxford University and Yale Uni- failures of democratic transitions have multiple but versity. He was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 1997.
[Show full text]