Week 2: Political Regimes -

Democracy
Intro to Comparative Politics
PS 0300
Pablo Fernandez-Vazquez
 How to define Democracy?
• How would you define democracy?
 How to define Democracy?
• How would you define democracy?

A common problem with definitions of democracy is

that is tends to acquire an aspirational value.

We hang many normatively desirable attributes to it.

 How to define Democracy?
• Representation
• Accountability
• Participation
• Equality
• Freedom
• ….
That makes it difficult to classify countries into
democracies or autocracies.

Democracy becomes an empty set.

A *minimal* definition of democracy

Authors: Proposed by Przeworski and coauthors.

Goal: Straightforward definition that allows clear

classification of regimes.
 A minimal definition of democracy

Focus: Contestation for government power through

elections.

1. Ex-ante uncertainty (the opposition can win)

2. Ex-post irreversibility (the loser accepts defeat)
3. Repeatability (competition is not one-shot)
 A minimal definition in practice
Most controversial aspect of operational definition:

Conundrum: What if the same party always win?

We cannot tell whether the incumbent would yield
power if they lost an election…
 we cannot know whether it is a democracy or not

Coding decision: Consider these cases as not

democratic. Type II error.
 A minimal definition of democracy
What is omitted in a minimalist definition:

1. Social or economic characteristics

2. The concepts of “responsiveness”, “accountability”,
or representation
3. The concept of “freedom”

Justification: Goal is to examine the impact of

democracy on these factors, not include them in
definition.
 More *demanding* definitions
Robert A. Dahl definition:

Accountability: capacity to remove rulers

Requisites:
• Participation: institutionalized, universal, unforced.
• Contestation: Real competition for governmental power.
 More *demanding* definitions
This, in turn, requires:

1. Elected government

2. Civil Liberties: e.g. freedom of expression, freedom of

assembly, freedom of the press.

3. Free and regular elections

 Applying the minimalist definition of
democracy

Let’s interpret the following events in light of the minimalist

definition of democracy:

1) The impeachment of Dilma Rousseff in Brazil

Protest after her victory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuefX-qXoaw
Impeachment vote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGNEt0xyJ2c&t=75s

2) The changes in the balance of power between State Congress

and Governor in Wisconsin or North Carolina
https://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2018/dec/03/wisconsin-republican-legislative-
leaders/wisconsin-republicans-gave-gop-governor-more-power/
https://www.vox.com/2019/9/11/20860986/north-carolina-republican-power-play-cooper-budget-veto