Class 2 - Does Democracy Make a Difference?

Question 1

What is Lijphart’s conclusion on effects of diff types of democracy?

Answer 1

Consensus democracies do better in terms of effective governance; a kinder, gentler democracy.

The type of democracy is more important than democracy itself in measuring the positive effects of a democracy.

Question 2

How does Carbone evaluate the effects of democratisation?

Answer 2

1. Focuses on social and economic welfare
2. Uses thin procedural conceptualisation of democracy

Question 3

Why would democracy fare better in terms of human development?

Answer 3

• the needs of the worse off can be voiced
• pressure can be exerted through elections
• elites can be held accountable

democracy - important alarm bell function

Question 4

What are the assumptions behind democracy as better? (Three)

Answer 4

• identities are salient (socio-economic)
• process impacts substance
• self-interest leads to collective good

Question 5

How does democracy correlate with different welfare measurements? What are some critiques to this conclusion?

Answer 5

No strong correlation; mixed evidence of positive impact
(E.g.: lowered inequality, poverty reduction, infant mortality, increasing school levels)

Critiques:
-change in democracies take time
- democracy needs to be culturally embedded before producing results
- unreliable pre-democratisation indicators

• democracy does not per se ensure the worse-off are heard

Question 6

Alternative explanations for relationship between democracy and welfare:

Answer 6

• econ dev -> democratisation; a reversal of causality
• globalisation as root for both
• culture as the root for both -> social capital
• religion; e.g.: protestants as more critical towards authority

Question 7

What does Lijphart look at when comparing between the two types of democracy?

Answer 7

• analysis of quality of democracy INPUT
• analysis of government performance / effectiveness OUTPUT

CONSENSUS dems score better in both -> against Lowell’s axiom

Question 8

What is Lowell’s axiom?

Answer 8

There is a trade off between input and output efficiency in democracies.
High input quality (more inclusive etc) trades off with low output quality (because decisions take longer etc)

This would mean consensus dems are worse in terms of effectiveness.
Lijphart -> contradicts it

Question 9

Why are consensus democracies better? What makes majoritarian systems worse?

Answer 9

• all social segments are INCLUDED in the decision making process
• consensual dem are more LEGITIMATE, thus easier to implement
• score BETTER FOR QUALITY OF DEM (women’ rights, accountability, equality etc)
• in majoritarian, there is a greater ALTERNATION of power = more unstable

Question 10

Critiques of Lijphart’s analysis of which democracy is better

Answer 10

• too few cases analysed (n=36)
• largest effect on exec-party dimension; less on federal-unitary dimension
• correlation, not causation

Question 11

The two approaches to democratic trade-off

Answer 11

Lowell:
- input vs output trade-off

Lijphart:
- most inclusive dems also perform best