内容説明
Democracies derive their resilience and vitality from the fact that the rule of a particular majority is usually only of a temporary nature. By looking at four case studies, this work studies democracies of a different kind: rule by a dominant party which is virtually immune from defeat. Such systems have been called Regnant Democracies or Uncommon Democracies. They are characterized by distinctive features: the staging of unfree or corrupt elections; the blurring of the lines between ruling party, government and the state; the introduction of a national project which is considered to be above politics, and the erosion of civil society. The book addresses major issues such as why one democracy, namely Taiwan, has been moving in the direction of a more competitive system; how economic crises, such as one in Mexico, can transform the system; how government-business relations in Malaysia are affecting the base of the dominant party; and whether South Africa will become a one-party dominant system.
Book Description
Democracies derive their resilience and vitality from the fact that the rule of a particular majority is usually only of a temporary nature. By looking at four case studies, The Awkward Embrace studies democracies of a different kind: rule by a dominant party which is virtually immune from defeat. Such systems have been called Regnant Democracies or Uncommon Democracies. They are characterized by distinctive features: the staging of unfree or corrupt elections; the blurring of the lines between ruling party, government and the state; the introduction of a national project which is considered to be above politics; and the erosion of civil society. The Awkward Embrace addresses major issues such as why one such democracy, namely Taiwan, has been moving in the direction of a more competitive system; how economic crises, such as the present one in Mexico, can transform the system; how government-business relations in Malaysia are affecting the base of the dominant party; and whether South