DOCSLIB.ORG

Democracy Doklad ENG Web.Pdf

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Democracy Doklad ENG Web.Pdf CONTENTS: Introduction ................................................................................................................5 PART I. CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES FOR DEMOCRACIES Andrei Tsygankov 1. The Crisis of Democracy and the Need for State ................................ 22 Anastasia Bordovskikh and Raphael Boussier 2. Decision-Making Crisis in Contemporary Democracies ................. 38 John Dunn 3. Democracy and Good Government: Geographical and Historical Disparities in Perspective and the Quality of Political Judgment ........................................................................................... 66 Karl A. Schachtschneider 4. Peace Through Democracy ........................................................................... 84 Piotr Dutkiewicz 5. Democracy’s Unlikely Supporters............................................................108 PART II. NATIONAL DEMOCRACIES Alasdair Roberts 6. How American Democracy Learns From Crisis .................................124 Pavlos Eleftheriadis 7. Democratic Representation and Accountability in the European Union ......................................................................................154 4 Ivan Blot 8. The Legislative Process in France: Democracy or Oligarchy? ..................................................................................178 Eiríkur Bergmann 9. Citizen’s Assemblies in Response to Crisis of Democratic Representation ....................................................194 Subrata K. Mitra 10. Democracy Consolidation and Multi-level Governance in Transitional Societies: Some General Lessons of the Indian Case ................................................219 Arthur Ituassu 11. Liberty and Social Justice: Democracy and Public Benefits in Brazil and Latin America ...............................................................................................242 Valentina Fedotova 12. Modernization and Democratic Transit: Lessons and Perspectives in Russia .............................................................261 Mattias Kumm 13. Liberal Constitutional Democracy 25 years after the End of the Cold War ......................................................275 INTRODUCTION Forty years ago the Trilateral commission consisting of the most prominent scientists of the time – Michel Crozier, Samuel P. Huntington, and Joji Watanuki – published a report entitled “The Crisis of Democra- cy: On the Governability of Democracies”. The aim they set out to achieve was strengthening of the foundations of democratic institutions, but the conclusions the authors came to were truly groundbreaking: thus, S. Huntington points out all regimes under re- search, especially in the United States, see the weakening of authority of central government institutions due to “the excess of attention to democ- racy”. Compared to 1970s, when the discussion of this topic just started, the present level of trust of Western countries’ citizens to the democrat- ically elected authorities has decreased dramatically. “The level of anger with politicians and institutions of government is much higher than it used to be in 1975”, says political scientist Fareed Zakaria in his article on the problems of democracy in Foreign affairs magazine1. According to polls re- sults, in 1964 76% of American citizens reported that they trust their gov- ernment in most cases. By 2010 this number has dropped to 19%. 1 Zakaria, F. (2013, January/February Can America Be fixed? The New Crisis of Democracy. Foreign affairs 6 Introduction Subsequently the concept of democracy has gone through a number of attempts of restoration and adaptation to the changing conditions, the world has faced a few waves of democratization, however, with the ris- ing reach of democratization the list of “imperfections”, “extremes” and “paradoxes” of democracy has only been expanding. Export of democracy to the poorest and post-crisis nations, which triggered the appearance of a range of financial-aid-dependent states with elites imitating reforms in exchange for persona grata status with- in global integration blocks, deserves special attention. While there are quite few successful examples of transition to democracy, this process automatically spares the states undergoing the process of democrati- zation from the need to develop independently: there are formulas of democratic reforms simplified to the set of success-granting mottos and standardized procedures. Russia in 1990s could serve as an example of the catastrophic results of using such ready-made approaches. Despite the fact that the waves of democratization in XX century have proved the failure of linear dependency between the level of development of democratic institutions and the population’s quality of life, Western countries continue convincing the whole world (and themselves as well) that all counties are either democratic or non-democratic. And the lat- ter – disregarding of their population intentions – are democracies too but in the “hybrid” form just being at varying distances from becoming real democracies. Neither successful examples of non-democratic devel- opment of Singapore and China nor the economic failures of oldest de- mocracies such as India convince the apologists of total democratization. More and more often Western scientists are calling for the return to traditional constructive values and reevaluation of the concept of de- mocracy itself, authentic historical study of which has just recently been Introduction 7 started by social sciences. The rising tension in Western countries is pushing on elites to search for the alternatives in filling in the value vac- uum, resulting from the sacralization of democracy. There are more and more cases when the power in democratic states is determined not by the majority but by separate groups with quite narrow interests – i.e. oligarchs, coalition of minorities, elite that is detached from the citizens. The theorists of democracy are pointing out the decrease in the level of political involvement including the level of voting turnout that is re- ported almost in all democratic states. Today the previous wide-spread politization of the society is substituted by the apathy of big groups of citizens that are unable to satisfy their needs through political partici- pation with the subsequent rise of influence of minorities that preserved the taste for politics.2 Citizens of the US and Europe are less and less interested in taking part in the political process. The voting turnout is dropping down: since the beginning of 1980s it has decreased on aver- age by 10% in European countries3. While the turnout for the presiden- tial elections has been quite stable, journalists and experts are reporting dramatic decrease of interest in the elections of representatives in the Congress. In 2014 the historical minimum of election turnout since 1918 was registered – 33,24% of voters, which lead to a new wave of discus- sions in the country.4 Such a situation allowed Matthew Flinders, professor in political studies from University of Sheffield, to argue the existence in the West of the ma- 2 Democracy on the edge. Populism and Protest. A research paper produced for the BBC’s Democracy day. (2015, January). The Economist Intelligence Unit.. 3 Delwit, P. (2013) The End of Voters in Europe? Electoral Turnout in Europe since WWII. Open Journal of Political Science, 3, 44–52. 4 Voter turnout data for United States (1946–2014). International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA). Источник — http://www.idea.int/ (01.04.2015). 8 Introduction jority who is interested in the manifestation of their will and have enough political literacy to identify the course of development for their countries.5 Events of the last decade – failure of “young democracies” in Africa and at the Middle East, lasting economic crisis, the rise of populism in Europe – have undermined the trust in effectiveness of democratic re- gimes and their ability to give an adequate response to the complex chal- lenges of our time ranging from economic issues to immigration policy. Even institutions which aim to promote democracy overseas are stat- ing: the number of purely democratic states has been constantly decreas- ing during last decades.6 Electoral success of new parties at the elections in some countries and at the last elections to the European Parliament in 2014 turned them into the pan-European phenomenon. The political tension on such parties caused by the EU institutions before the elections in the form of repots on the danger of populist movements had not led to the desired results – euros- ceptics have got a wide representation in the current European Parliament. Traditional parties faced a tough issue of how to oppose daring political “newcomers” that has become dangerous competitors? As a result, recently in several European countries fight with populists has been lead by means of legislative or even police measures. Limitation of democracy as a means of protecting democracy has taken place in Spain, Sweden and Germany. In their attempt to understand the reasons behind the failures of “young democracies” the theorists from the Economist analytical unit are introducing a range of new parameters in their latest global “Democ- racy index” that are identifying the essence of democratic regime and 5 Flinders, M. Low voter turnout is clearly a problem, but a much greater worry is the growing inequality of that turnout. London School of Economics Blog, опубликовано http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/look-
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Citizen Cyborg.” Citizen a Groundbreaking Work of Social Commentary, Citizen Cyborg Artificial Intelligence, Nanotechnology, and Genetic Engineering —DR
    hughes (continued from front flap) $26.95 US ADVANCE PRAISE FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE NANOTECHNOLOGY GENETIC ENGINEERING MEDICAL ETHICS INVITRO FERTILIZATION STEM-CELL RESEARCH $37.95 CAN citizen LIFE EXTENSION GENETIC PATENTS HUMAN GENETIC ENGINEERING CLONING SEX SELECTION ASSISTED SUICIDE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE human genetic engineering, sex selection, drugs, and assisted In the next fifty years, life spans will extend well beyond a century. suicide—and concludes with a concrete political agenda for pro- cyborg Our senses and cognition will be enhanced. We will have greater technology progressives, including expanding and deepening control over our emotions and memory. Our bodies and brains “A challenging and provocative look at the intersection of human self-modification and human rights, reforming genetic patent laws, and providing SOCIETIES MUST RESPOND TO THE REDESIGNED HUMAN OF FUTURE WHY DEMOCRATIC will be surrounded by and merged with computer power. The limits political governance. Everyone wondering how society will be able to handle the coming citizen everyone with healthcare and a basic guaranteed income. of the human body will be transcended, as technologies such as possibilities of A.I. and genomics should read Citizen Cyborg.” citizen A groundbreaking work of social commentary, Citizen Cyborg artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and genetic engineering —DR. GREGORY STOCK, author of Redesigning Humans illuminates the technologies that are pushing the boundaries of converge and accelerate. With them, we will redesign ourselves and humanness—and the debate that may determine the future of the our children into varieties of posthumanity. “A powerful indictment of the anti-rationalist attitudes that are dominating our national human race itself.
    [Show full text]
  • UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations
    UC Berkeley UC Berkeley Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title La comunita' mutilata: Embodiment, Corporality, and the Reconstruction of the Italian Body Politic in the Works of F.T. Marinetti and Gabriele D'Annunzio Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/492903f9 Author Martire, Anthony John Publication Date 2012 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California La comunità mutilata: Embodiment, Corporality, and the Reconstruction of the Italian Body Politic in the Works of F.T. Marinetti and Gabriele D'Annunzio By Anthony John Martire A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Italian Studies in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Barbara Spackman, Chair Professor Mia Fuller Professor Harsha Ram Spring 2012 Abstract La comunità mutilata: Embodiment, Corporality, and the Reconstruction of the Italian Body Politic in the works of F.T. Marinetti and Gabriele D’Annunzio By Anthony John Martire Doctor of Philosophy in Italian Studies University of California, Berkeley Professor Barbara Spackman, Chair “La comunità mutilata: Embodiment, Corporality, and the Reconstruction of the Italian Body Politic in the works of F.T. Marinetti and Gabriele D’Annunzio”, is a study in how discourses of technological modernism, nationality, and woundedness operate on the longstanding metaphor of the body politic. It focuses on the writings of two of Italy’s most controversial, and influential, figures during and after the First World War. I show how mutilated and prosthetic bodies become powerful political metaphors for both Marinetti and D’Annunzio, which upend and transform the notion of the body politic in posthuman, postliberal and antidemocratic ways.
    [Show full text]
  • Vol. 16 No. 4 Jun. 1995 Sect 3 Page
    ThirdWorld Quarterly, Vol 16, No 4, 1995 Pushingpolyarchy: the US± Cuba case andthe Third World WILLIAMI ROBINSON Sincethe late 1980s US policy makers haveargued that the basis ofthe long-runningUS disputewith Cuba is thelack of `democracy’in the Caribbean islandnation. The Clinton Administration has madeit clear that its policy, includingany eventual normalisation of relations,will be basedon democratisa- tioninside Cuba. Yet, from the triumph of the Cuban revolution in 1959 to the late1980s, the US± Cuba con¯ ict was presentedin Washington as aproductof Cuba’s `securitythreat’ , emanatingfrom Cuba’ s foreignpolicy of active engage- mentin the international arena, including its support for Third World national liberationmovements and its alliance with the now defunct Soviet bloc. Therefore,the current assertion in Washingtonthat the dispute is overdemocracy representsa little-perceivedyet signi® cant change in US policy towards Cuba. Thisshift in policy,from an emphasis on external`security’ factors condition- ingUS± Cuban relations, to the emphasis on internal factorsÐ that is, on Cuba’s internalpolitical systemÐ is importanton two accounts. First, it is centralto an analysisof current US± Cuba relations and to prognostication on how these relationswill unfold in the coming years. Second, it re¯ ects anessential change inUS foreignpolicy that dates back to the 1970s, came tofruition in the 1980s, is nowbeing consolidated, and promises to play a majorrole in US foreign policyin the `new world order’ . Thischange has beendescribed by policy makers,scholars and journalists as ashifttowards `democracy promotion’ . The StateDepartment now de® nes `democracypromotion’ as oneof the three basic planksof USforeignpolicy, along with the promotion of `free markets’and the maintenanceof a USmilitary capacity around the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Democracy and the Death of Knowledge Suzanna Sherry
    Vanderbilt University Law School Scholarship@Vanderbilt Law Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications Faculty Scholarship 2007 Democracy and the Death of Knowledge Suzanna Sherry Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty-publications Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Suzanna Sherry, Democracy and the Death of Knowledge, 75 University of Cincinnati Law Review. 1053 (2007) Available at: http://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/faculty-publications/307 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Scholarship at Scholarship@Vanderbilt Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Vanderbilt Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DEMOCRACY AND THE DEATH OF KNOWLEDGE Suzanna Sherry* Judges are under unprecedented attack in the United States. As former Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in the Wall Street Journal last month, "while scorn for certain judges is not an altogether new phenomenon, the breadth and intensity of rage currently being leveled at the judiciary may be unmatched in American history."' Popular unhappiness with particular decisions-which began even before the Constitution and has occurred continuously since then-has turned into something deeper: a rejection of judicial review itself and a belief that judges should bow to the wishes of the popular majority. A few years ago, I diagnosed this phenomenon as the result of a misconception that all law is politics. I suggested that it was now conventional wisdom to believe that "constitutional adjudication is simply politics by another name.",2 And because politics is the province of the people and their representatives, judges should stay out of it.
    [Show full text]
  • Volume 24 1997 Issue 73
    Review of African Political Economy No.73:307-310 © ROAPE Publications Ltd., 1997 ISSN 0305-6244; RIX #7301 Commentary Ray Bush & Morris Szeftel This issue continues the critical evaluation of aspects of Africa's economic and political crisis offered in previous editions of the ROAPE Review of Books in the hope of an effective alternative to prevailing notions. In the present conjuncture, the dominant forces of global capitalism restrict the policy agenda with regard to arresting economic decline, ethnic conflict and state disintegration. Structural adjustment (imposing externally-regulated liberalisation) and liberal democratic political reform (largely confined to electoral competition among a small elite and the sponsorship of civil society) have been the only games in town. The evidence is everywhere that this narrow agenda is inadequate for the task. Its apologists defend it, not by pointing to their successes or their intellectual coherence and elegance, but by reiterating that there are no alternatives. Hence the need to encourage the widest range of critical contributions in that hope that, from them, alternatives will begin to emerge. The need for a new agenda is manifest. Economic restructuring, after 25 years of failure and despite the continuing brutality of its social impact, draws only muted criticism. Despite these failures, and notwithstanding occasional hand-wringing by the World Bank (as it accepts that mistakes have been made and launches a new slogan), Africa continues to be 'adjusted' to fit it for its station on the margins of world capitalist markets. The disappointments of democratisation are more recent and thus less fully explored. But the limitations of political pluralism as a means of promoting democratisation and overcoming the instability, ineffectiveness and corruption of post-colonial states, are already clear.
    [Show full text]
  • Democratization Through the Looking-Glass Democratization Has Become a Central Political Theme in the Post- Cold War World
    Burnell/28.5.jkt 30/7/03 12:20 pm Page 1 DEMOCRATIZATION I I I I ON PERSPECTIVES DEMOCRATIZATION I PERSPECTIVES ON I PERSPECTIVES ON DEMOCRATIZATION Democratization through the looking-glass Democratization has become a central political theme in the post- Cold War world. This series considers democratization as a concept, bringing together interest both in the processes of democratic institutional reform and in the under- lying theoretical issues defining I IPERSPECTIVES ON these processes—rights, citizenship, PERSPECTIVES ON DEMOCRATIZATION representation and participation. I DEMOCRATIZATIONI Democratization through the looking-glass argues that our perspectives on democratization reflect the intellectual origins of the inquiry. What we see and how we understand it are influenced by what we bring to the table. A range of disciplines from anthropology Democratization to economics, sociology and legal scholarship, as well as different area studies, offer a rich combination of analytical frameworks, distinctive insights and leading points of concern. through On one level the book provides for anyone interested in democratization a wide-ranging distillation of the main themes, issues, and topics, concisely written by leading experts in their field. the looking-glass On a second level the book advances the case for a broadly-based comparative study that includes Europe and North America alongside developing regions, while maintaining that multi- disciplinarity enhances our understanding of democratization far more than a narrow political science approach. I I The book is aimed at students of politics willing to explore the boundaries of their subject and all social scientists who need an BURNELL ed. introduction to this important contemporary phenomenon.
    [Show full text]
  • Expertise and Democracy
    Expertise and Democracy Cathrine Holst (ed.) ARENA Report No 1/14 Expertise and democracy Cathrine Holst (ed.) Copyright ARENA and authors ISBN (print) 978-82-93137-45-0 ISBN (online) 978-82-93137-95-5 ARENA Report Series (print) | ISSN 0807-3139 ARENA Report Series (online) | ISSN 1504-8152 Printed at ARENA Centre for European Studies University of Oslo P.O. Box 1143, Blindern N-0318 Oslo, Norway Tel: + 47 22 85 87 00 Fax: + 47 22 85 87 10 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.arena.uio.no Oslo, February 2014 Cover picture: Plato and Aristotle. Excerpt of the fresco painting School of Athens (1511) by Raphael, Stanza della Segnatura, Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. Preface Why not epistocracy? Political legitimacy and ‘the fact of expertise – (EPISTO) is a five year research project hosted by ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo. The EPISTO project is financed by the Research Council of Norway. EPISTO inquires into the role of knowledge and expertise in modern democracies. Epistocracy means rule of the knowers, and the project has a particular focus on ‘epistocratic’ developments in the European Union (EU). The kick-off conference took place in Oslo on 4 and 5 April 2013 and was the first of several international events to take place within the project. This report includes a majority of the papers presented at this conference, which was organized around three main themes: 1. Expert-rule and democratic legitimacy 2. The role of knowledge and expertise in EU governance 3. The European Commission’s use of expertise Discussions around the first theme concentrated on implications of modern democracies’ knowledge and expertise dependence for political and democratic theory, with a particular focus on epistemic approaches to deliberative democracy.
    [Show full text]
  • Bhutan's Political Transition –
    Spotlight South Asia Paper Nr. 2: Bhutan’s Political Transition – Between Ethnic Conflict and Democracy Author: Dr. Siegried Wolf (Heidelberg) ISSN 2195-2787 1 SSA ist eine regelmäßig erscheinende Analyse- Reihe mit einem Fokus auf aktuelle politische Ereignisse und Situationen Südasien betreffend. Die Reihe soll Einblicke schaffen, Situationen erklären und Politikempfehlungen geben. SSA is a frequently published analysis series with a focus on current political events and situations concerning South Asia. The series should present insights, explain situations and give policy recommendations. APSA (Angewandte Politikwissenschaft Südasiens) ist ein auf Forschungsförderung und wissenschaftliche Beratung ausgelegter Stiftungsfonds im Bereich der Politikwissenschaft Südasiens. APSA (Applied Political Science of South Asia) is a foundation aiming at promoting science and scientific consultancy in the realm of political science of South Asia. Die Meinungen in dieser Ausgabe sind einzig die der Autoren und werden sich nicht von APSA zu eigen gemacht. The views expressed in this paper are solely the views of the authors and are not in any way owned by APSA. Impressum: APSA Im Neuehnheimer Feld 330 D-69120 Heidelberg [email protected] www.apsa.info 2 Acknowledgment: The author is grateful to the South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF), Brussels for the extended support on this report. 3 Bhutan ’ s Political Transition – Between Ethnic Conflict and Democracy Until recently Bhutan (Drukyul - Land of the Thunder Dragon) did not fit into the story of the global triumph of democracy. Not only the way it came into existence but also the manner in which it was interpreted made the process of democratization exceptional. As a land- locked country which is bordered on the north by Tibet in China and on the south by the Indian states Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, it was a late starter in the process of state-building.
    [Show full text]
  • The Development of Indonesian National Democratic Institutions and Compatibility with Its National Culture
    The development of Indonesian national democratic institutions and compatibility with its national culture. 1 Master thesis Degree Public Administration Track Administration and Politics Institute Tilburg University Author D. Schoofs Administration number 759809 E-mail address [email protected] Date 23-02-2016 Supervision prof. dr. F. Hendriks Primary supervisor Tilburg University dr. A. Maleki Secondary supervisor Tilburg University 2 On the cover: Monumen Nasional (Monas), the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia. A 132m tower in the centre of Merdeka Square in Central Jakarta, build to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence. To me, it symbolises the first acquaintance of Indonesia with building a democratic state: The short democratic experience, right before Sukarno’s Guided Democracy. As you can see, the picture on the cover is still quite blurry. After a long period of harsh ruling, Indonesia is granted a second chance in building a democratic state. During my brief time in Jakarta, I met many people who still struggle, every day, in pursuit of their democracy. My hope is that they will continue to do so and that their democracy will be proven solid, casted in bronze as it were, as reflected by the second picture. Separated by many miles. My thoughts are with you and continue to be. Tilburg University. Frans Seda Foundation. Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya. Indonesia Mengajar. Perludem. prof. dr. F. Hendriks. dr. A. Maleki. dr. T. Metze. Mr. Jaap van Gent. Mr. Dolf Huijgers. dr. Mikhael Dua. dr. E. Widodo. Mr. S. Simarmata. Ms. A. Dwifatma. Mr. A.M. Alizar. Ms. K.D.
    [Show full text]
  • Soekarno's Political Thinking About Guided Democracy
    e-ISSN : 2528 - 2069 SOEKARNO’S POLITICAL THINKING ABOUT GUIDED DEMOCRACY Author : Gili Argenti and Dini Sri Istining Dias Government Science, State University of Singaperbangsa Karawang (UNSIKA) Email : [email protected] and [email protected] ABSTRACT Soekarno is one of the leaders of the four founders of the Republic of Indonesia, his political thinking is very broad, one of his political thinking about democracy is guided democracy into controversy, in his youth Soekarno was known as a very revolutionary, humanist and progressive figure of political thinkers of his day. His thoughts on leading democracy put his figure as a leader judged authoritarian by his political opponents. This paper is a study of thought about Soekarno, especially his thinking about the concept of democracy which is considered as a political concept typical of Indonesian cultures. Key word: Soekarno, democracy PRELIMINARY Soekarno is one of the four founders of the Republic of Indonesia according to the version of Tempo Magazine, as political figures aligned with Mohammad Hatta, Sutan Sjahrir and Tan Malaka. Soekarno's thought of national politics placed himself as a great thinker that Indonesian ever had. In the typology of political thought, his nationality has been placed as a radical nationalist thinker, since his youthful interest in politics has been enormous. As an active politician, Soekarno poured many of his thinkers into speeches, articles and books. One of Soekarno's highly controversial and inviting notions of polemic up to now is the political thought of guided democracy. Young Soekarno's thoughts were filled with revolutionary idealism and anti-oppression, but at the end of his reign, he became a repressive and anti-democratic thinker.
    [Show full text]
  • Inflation and Instability: Brazil's Lost Decade And
    APPLIED ECONOMICS INFLATION AND INSTABILITY : B RAZIL ’S LOST DECADE AND CARDOSO ’S RESPONSE ISABELLA DI PAOLO Senior Sophister in the 1990's brazil suffered a turbulent period of hyperinflation. in this paper, is - abella di Paolo provides an intriguing explanation of the policies which led to brazil's crisis, and an evaluation of how the reforms of President Cardoso helped set brazil on its current growth path. 1. Introduction the famous joke goes: “brazil is, and always will be, the land of the future”. long strug - gling to achieve long-term, sustainable growth - despite its abundant resources and im - mense potential - brazil has recently seen considerable improvements in both its economic performance and poverty-reduction strategies. the recent consumer boom, experienced as millions filled middle-class ranks, makes it difficult to imagine that just two decades ago inflation was taking over everyday life.1 it was the centre of all policy concerns, caused hour-long queues in front of supermarkets and crushed innumerable hopes and dreams. today, a decade-long struggle for macroeconomic stability has rendered the daily reality of twenty years ago completely unimaginable to those who have only known recent pros - perity (leitão, 2011). after an initial taming of the ‘inflation monster’ via the Plano real, brazilian policy-makers have demonstrated continuity in their will to reform, as exemplified by the continued adoption of the inflation targeting mechanism and law of fiscal respon - sibility introduced at the end of the cardoso administration. as brazil begins to display difficulties in continuing down the path of rapid growth, (financial times, 2013) it is more important than ever to remember the recent past, and to consider the long way the coun - try has come.
    [Show full text]
  • Democratic Culture and Muslim Political Participation in Post-Suharto Indonesia
    RELIGIOUS DEMOCRATS: DEMOCRATIC CULTURE AND MUSLIM POLITICAL PARTICIPATION IN POST-SUHARTO INDONESIA DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science at The Ohio State University by Saiful Mujani, MA ***** The Ohio State University 2003 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Professor R. William Liddle, Adviser Professor Bradley M. Richardson Professor Goldie Shabad ___________________________ Adviser Department of Political Science ABSTRACT Most theories about the negative relationship between Islam and democracy rely on an interpretation of the Islamic political tradition. More positive accounts are also anchored in the same tradition, interpreted in a different way. While some scholarship relies on more empirical observation and analysis, there is no single work which systematically demonstrates the relationship between Islam and democracy. This study is an attempt to fill this gap by defining Islam empirically in terms of several components and democracy in terms of the components of democratic culture— social capital, political tolerance, political engagement, political trust, and support for the democratic system—and political participation. The theories which assert that Islam is inimical to democracy are tested by examining the extent to which the Islamic and democratic components are negatively associated. Indonesia was selected for this research as it is the most populous Muslim country in the world, with considerable variation among Muslims in belief and practice. Two national mass surveys were conducted in 2001 and 2002. This study found that Islam defined by two sets of rituals, the networks of Islamic civic engagement, Islamic social identity, and Islamist political orientations (Islamism) does not have a negative association with the components of democracy.
    [Show full text]