“What are the respective roles of the state and civil society in strengthening processes of democratisation?.
Description
essay question: “What are the respective roles of the state and civil society in strengthening processes of democratisation? Discuss with reference to two countries from the global south.” Background from the lecture: “In the post-1945 era, democratisation and human rights became incorporated into the mainstream development agenda, consolidated with the ‘good governance’ agenda of the post-Washington consensus and its focus on the rule of law, accountability etc. Yet, as the enthusiasm for the so-called ‘third wave’ of democratisation gave way to more sober, if not pessimistic, views on the future of democracies, the debate shifted towards discussions about the ‘quality of democracy’, ‘democratic consolidation’, and indeed towards questions about the desirability and/or possibility of achieving democracy under neoliberalism. Meanwhile, more radical social movements have been demanding ‘real democracy’. This session addresses the democracy-development relation. It outlines main positions and their trajectories, locating them in the context of current development processes and, crucially, what the democratic revolution meant in historical periods. It emphasises the contradictions embedded in contemporary neoliberal attempts to promote democracy. It also considers attempts to rethink democracy in ways that reflect the power and desires of mass populations. Finally, it examines conditions that favour democratic processes and outcomes. “