Until the late 1980s, there were very few democratically elected governments in the developing world. These areas were characterized by a range of authoritarian regimes from military administrations to one-party dictatorships. Over the past decade, however, the situation has altered significantly and an increasing number of developing countries have made the transition to democracy. For some, this process of building and consolidating democracy has been relatively easy, while for others, it has proved more complex and harder to sustain.

In this important new textbook, Jeff Haynes seeks to explain why these differences occur. Adopting a broadly comparative approach, he begins by examining the theories and practice of democratic transition and consolidation in the new democracies of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Haynes argues persuasively that a country's ability to consolidate democracy depends not only on the interaction of structural and agency factors, but also on a variety of specific domestic and international concerns which may help or hinder democratic progress. Using a wide range of case studies to illustrate his argument, Haynes provides an accessible and comprehensive analysis of the processes and problems of democratic consolidation in developing nations.

This is an important textbook that will be invaluable to students in a variety of areas from politics and comparative politics to development studies and history.

About the Author

Jeff Haynes is Professor of Politics at London Guildhall University.

Reviews
'The 'third wave' of democratisation of the last 25 years has served to universalise the concerns of political scientists about democracy and the conditions which sustain and consolidate it. Jeff Haynes has written a comprehensive and highly readable introduction to these questions, drawing on a wide range of theoretical approaches and comparative studies. The book will be of great value to lecturers and students alike working in this field.' Adrian Leftwich, University of York

"Democracy in the Developing World is impressive in the breadth of its scope and the depth of its theoretical arguments and empirical analysis. The author offers a thoughtful and provocative theory of democratic consolidation, testing it against a rich array of case studies drawn from the developing world. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the comparative study of the developing world or the dynamics of democratization." Mehran Kamrava, California State University

"The text is methodically organised and Haynes' expression is uniformly clear." Asian Studies Review

"Haynes' book is very well structured and argued...he covers an impressive range of empirical material as well as theoretical literature." Lard Svasand, Democratization

Book Information
ISBN 9780745621418
Author Jeffrey Haynes
Format Hardback
Page Count 256
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 481g
Dimensions(mm) 236mm * 158mm * 22mm