Constraining Elites in Russia and Indonesia: Political Participation and Regime Survival
Cambridge University Press, 10/13/2016
EAN 9781107084377, ISBN10: 1107084377
Hardcover, 332 pages, 23.6 x 16 x 2.7 cm
Language: English
This is a thought-provoking analysis on why democracy succeeds in some countries but not others, comparing the post-transition experiences of two cases of contemporary democratisation: Russia and Indonesia. Following authoritarian regimes, democracy eroded in Russia but flourished in Indonesia - so confounding dominant theories of democratisation that predicted the opposite outcomes based on their levels of socioeconomic development and histories of statehood. Identifying key behaviours and patterns of political participation as a factor, Lussier interweaves ethnographic interview and quantitative public opinion data to expand our understanding on how mass political participation contributes to a democracy's survival. The integration of both micro- and macro-level data in a single study is one of this project's most significant contributions, and will enhance its appeal to both researchers and instructors.
1. Introduction
activating democracy
2. Extending democratization theory
the cases of Russia and Indonesia
3. Elite-constraining participation and democracy's survival
4. Testing the model
predicting non-voting political participation
5. Tocqueville revisited
civic skills and social networks
6. Political efficacy and 'throwing the rascals out'
7. Political trust and regime legitimacy
8. Conclusion
political participation and the future of democracy.