Authoritarianism and the elite origins of democracy / Michael Albertus, University of Chicago ; Victor Menaldo, University of Washington.
2018
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Title
Authoritarianism and the elite origins of democracy / Michael Albertus, University of Chicago ; Victor Menaldo, University of Washington.
Added Author
Imprint
Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY, USA : Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Copyright
©2018.
Description
1 online resource (xi, 312 pages)
Formatted Contents Note
Introduction
Elites and the causes and consequences of democracy
Constitutions as elite deal making: contents and trends
Evidence on the causes and consequences of democracy
Unraveling the deal: constitutional annulments and and amendments under elite-based democracy
Sweden: from agrarian oligarchy to progressive democracy
Chile: from authoritarian legacies to a new dawn?
Colonial and occupier legacies in new democracies
Conclusion.
Elites and the causes and consequences of democracy
Constitutions as elite deal making: contents and trends
Evidence on the causes and consequences of democracy
Unraveling the deal: constitutional annulments and and amendments under elite-based democracy
Sweden: from agrarian oligarchy to progressive democracy
Chile: from authoritarian legacies to a new dawn?
Colonial and occupier legacies in new democracies
Conclusion.
Summary
This book argues that - in terms of institutional design, the allocation of power and privilege, and the lived experiences of citizens - democracy often does not restart the political game after displacing authoritarianism. Democratic institutions are frequently designed by the outgoing authoritarian regime to shield incumbent elites from the rule of law and give them an unfair advantage over politics and the economy after democratization. Authoritarianism and the Elite Origins of Democracy systematically documents and analyzes the constitutional tools that outgoing authoritarian elites use to accomplish these ends, such as electoral system design, legislative appointments, federalism, legal immunities, constitutional tribunal design, and supermajority thresholds for change. The study provides wide-ranging evidence for these claims using data that spans the globe and dates from 1800 to the present. Albertus and Menaldo also conduct detailed case studies of Chile and Sweden. In doing so, they explain why some democracies successfully overhaul their elite-biased constitutions for more egalitarian social contracts.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 289-301) and index.
Source of Description
Description based on print version record.
Location
WWW
Available in Other Form
Print version: Albertus, Michael, 1983- Authoritarianism and the elite origins of democracy. Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY, USA : Cambridge University Press, 2018
Access Note
Access restricted to subscribing institutions.
Linked Resources
Alternate Title
Cambridge Core.
Language
English
ISBN
9781108185950 (electronic book)
1108185959 (electronic book)
9781107199828 (hardcover)
1107199824 (hardcover)
9781316649039 (paperback)
1316649032 (paperback)
1108185959 (electronic book)
9781107199828 (hardcover)
1107199824 (hardcover)
9781316649039 (paperback)
1316649032 (paperback)
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