1. Become familiar with evidence on relationship between democracy and: 1.Education. 2.Religion. 3.Political Culture. 4.Facilitating Events. 2. Assess persuasiveness of causal links. Education Economic growth Democracy Predicted free countries (Freedom House measures) by Actually 90 free countries by those measures in 2007. EducationEconomic growth Democracy Directly Indirectly Religion 1988: 39/46 democratic countries dominant Christian Pre-1900: of democratic countries. Catholicism considered hindrance until 3 rd wave. Pre-1960s: Catholic Church associated with powerful elites in society. Mid-1960s: Church began to oppose authoritarian regimes (liberation theology) Influence on Brazil, Chile, Philippines, Poland transitions. Persistent set of undemocratic countries. Possible difficulties reconciling restrictions on participation with democratic principles. Yet 2/3 of Muslims live in democratic regimes. Manji: Problem is with Islamist ideology. Manji Ibrahim: problem not with Islam but history and rulers on Arab peninsula. Considered mostly unimportant now. Political Culture specifically political orientations attitudes towards the political system and its various parts, and attitudes toward the role of the self in the system. (Almond & Verba) Civic political culture necessary for stable democracy. Citizens: Feel competent Have urge to participate Are tolerant of diversity Are positive towards their political institutions; value the system over any particular policy outcome. Civic CultureDemocracy Civic CultureDemocracy Alexis de Tocqueville: Democracy in America Robert Putnam: Making Democracy Work civic community in northern Italy Civic CultureDemocracy 1. Economic crisis 2. Losing a major military conflict Performance as source of legitimacy for recent authoritarian regimes. Legitimacy to particular government rather than procedures of regime. Democratic regimes: legitimacy of regime rules and procedures as well as current government. Economic Crisis E.g. oil crises and 1979 Oil-importing countries suffered. Argentina, Greece. Loss of Major Military Conflict Argentina (Falklands-Malvinas) Greece (Cyprus) Portugal (colonial wars) USSR (Afghanistan)