Essay On Autocracy In Cuba

The sustained economic development in many of the most powerful countries in the world has sparked the topic of democratization in developing countries. Cuba is a communist country that is under autocratic rule. Although many countries harbor an eventual trigger for social and economic reform, the country of Cuba is plagued by commonplace conditions that generate a persistent autocracy. Some of the factors that have maintained autocracy in Cuba include the use of revenue maximizing tax rate, the stationary bandit’s capacity for violence, and forces that dissolve a recently established democracy.

Cuba, an island country in the Caribbean, has struggled with maintaining democratic leadership since the Spanish American War. After the war, the United States declared that its presence in the country was temporary and sovereignty would be handed to the Cubans through the establishment of a Constituent Assembly. In his work “Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development”, Mancur Olson (1993) explains that democracies usually prevail in combat with fascist or communist countries. The United States, being a democratic stronghold that held control of the government in Cuba, initially encouraged the transition from an autocratic to democratic government in the country. In contrast to other newly established democracies at the time, such as the democratization of Germany at the end of World War II, the new democratic structure in Cuba quickly collapsed. The Cuban Constituent Assembly that was established was a catalyst for the dissolution of any competing parties. The strict voting regulations for the election of the 31 delegates for the Constituent Assembly produced an overwhelming majority for the republican form of government, creating a gover...

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... act outside of personal motives and create political reform for the betterment of the country. That being said, autocratic governments are susceptible to succession crisis (Olsen, 1993, p 572). Dynastic successions are often more predictable in autocracies than other forms of changing over leadership because there is less uncertainty for the future. Without dynastic succession and the population not having a clear understanding of who their next leader is, autocratic regimes could falter in short time spans, decreasing the productivity of societies. With the susceptibility of succession crisis, there becomes more chance for political reform. In Cuba, Fidel Castro has recently handed his Presidency over to his brother Raul Castro due to his deteriorating health. With the fall of the president there is a chance for social and political change in the country of Cuba.