Critical Analysis: "The Spirit of Democracy"

Democracy, with various perceptions lacks a universally accepted definition. However, it may have become a universally accepted system of government most international societies prefer to operate under. Larry Diamond (author of “The Spirit of Democracy”) agrees to this trend, when he questions why Democracy has not expanded globally. Though a snowball effect is indeed taking place, allowing sparks of liberal ideas translate to democratic movements giving way to the third wave of democracy, this system is still limited to two-thirds of the globe. In order to truly understand the limited growth of democracy, we must first uncover the internal factors that drive autocratic regimes and their democratic transitions.

Autocratic regimes may appear to be impervious as a country. Though, they are indeed sensitive as a political system of government. The primary reason autocracies exist are because people submit to the authority of one leader hoping that he stabilizes the countries economic, social, and political infrastructure. Since the citizens must decide between their freedom, or the states well being, they face what is called an intrinsic dilemma. However, should the dictator fail to sustain their desires, the regime exposes its illegitimacy and the people realize the regimes disposability. Given that, the people feel that preserving their regime would be arbitrary. And so, citizens try to reform the countries constitution with democratic ideals. For instance, as African autocracies failed to bring economic and government reforms to their people, the people realized the bureaucratic systems illegitimacy. Hence, some countries commenced the transition towards democracy by the will of the people. This displays that as an autocracy...

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...e who’s only alternative is to replace their system of government to avoid further persecution. As Diamond too illustrates, “...the public comes to place a higher value on political freedom and civil liberties-in and for themselves- more people speak out, demonstrate and organize, beginning with the denunciation of human rights abuses,” (Diamond 103). These movements, showing signs of liberal values, are all that takes for the democratic transition to initiate. Therefore proving, that it is not public awareness, a result of education, that is always the cause of these transitions, rather the fear of loss, which forces the Dictator to conserve this shift of power within his government. Though both revolutions, from education or brutal oppression, are caused by economic development, Diamond does not link public oppression with the cause of this financial prosperity.