Democracy and its Determinants: A Critique

Abstract

Scholars of comparative politics have been concerned with the meaning of democracy as well as the pre-conditions for the emergence and consolidation of democracy. The commonly examined determinants include a set of cultural, ideological, economic and external assistance factors. This article engages one variant of democracy namely liberal democracy in order to understand whether or not it presupposes certain conditions to happen and consolidate. I argue that although liberal democracy is certainly the dominant kind of democracy in the world, it has worked differently across space and time to the extent that the precondition argument is progressively losing its explanatory power.

Keywords: Democracy, pre-conditions, culture, ideology, economy

Associate Professor, University of Dar es Salaam