http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/democratization Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Wed, 10 Jun 2026 03:57:20 -0400 Wed, 10 Jun 2026 03:57:20 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1934/the-politics-of-nation-building-ethnicity-and-democratization-in-ethiopia By Melale G. Hailu - This article explores the political relationship between nation-building, ethnicity, and democracy in the context of Ethiopia. It traces Ethiopia's poltical history, explores the consequential role ethnicity has played in the formation of the modern Ethiopian nation-state, and analyzes the manner in which democracy (or some form of it) has materlaized in the country post 1990. It argues that the politicization of ethnicity, in an already weak and culturally pluralistic state, further reinforces the existence of a repressive state and becomes a considerable impediment to democratic maturation and... Mon, 17 Jan 2022 11:59 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1934/the-politics-of-nation-building-ethnicity-and-democratization-in-ethiopia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1721/the-changing-arena-of-power-contestation-between-the-state-and-chaebols-in-south-korea-democracy-and-the-ascent-of-legal-institutions By Tan A. Seng - The growth of the South Korean economy has often been attributed to the rise of Chaebols, or family owned businesses with wide-ranging conglomeratelike economic interests. The embeddedness of the Chaebol in Korea's political economy has allowed them to emerge as a major actor, with significant influence in the political arena – as a result of their role as stabilizers of the economy. This is a significant development, considering the relatively weaker position of the Chaebol vis-à-vis the state, under authoritarian rule. With democratization and their association with South Korea'... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1721/the-changing-arena-of-power-contestation-between-the-state-and-chaebols-in-south-korea-democracy-and-the-ascent-of-legal-institutions http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1566/new-methods-of-democratic-consolidation-the-application-of-citizenship-laws-in-ethnically-fractured-states By Adam Goldstein - The consensus in scholarly circles regarding democratic consolidation stipulates the importance of a cohesive demos, or population, that is also congruent with a representative polity, or political class. One of the main inhibitors of this goal is ethnic conflict, which can easily derail democratic transitions and consolidations. I begin this article with a discussion of the flaws of the two established notions of conflict alleviation in ethnically fragmented states: consociationalism and federalism, especially in regards to how they define groups and segment political power. I then identify the... Sat, 31 Dec 2016 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1566/new-methods-of-democratic-consolidation-the-application-of-citizenship-laws-in-ethnically-fractured-states http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1419/rethinking-the-role-of-cooperatives-in-african-development By Cynthia Kwakyewah - In their search for a new development paradigm, many African governments and international organizations have reverted to cooperatives, a distinct business model that manifest a turbulent history ranging from pre-colonial to colonial and post-independence Africa. Owing to their ethical and democratic features as well as their dual pursuit for social and economic yields, cooperatives have come to be perceived as the solution to the enigma of underdevelopment. But a critical examination indicates that African cooperatives face profound encumbrances deriving from their historical background and the... Tue, 07 Jun 2016 09:18 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1419/rethinking-the-role-of-cooperatives-in-african-development http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1412/womens-motivations-and-roles-in-islamist-organizations By Audrey Cleaver-Bartholomew - It is a common misperception that Islamist organizations are men’s groups. Some, like the Muslim Brotherhood, even involve specifically gendered names, or include other references to “brothers” and “brotherhood.” Beyond exclusive language, Islamist organizations most frequently recruit among young men and feature gender-segregated spaces with all-male leadership. In the West, Islamists are widely regarded as misogynists and little distinction is made between mainstream organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood and violently oppressive organizations like the Taliban... Tue, 31 May 2016 08:04 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1412/womens-motivations-and-roles-in-islamist-organizations http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1048/polysemic-language-democratization-and-the-empowerment-of-the-body-politic-in-shakespeares-hamlet By Hayley E. Tartell - In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince Hamlet’s polysemic language raises the theme of empowerment of the body politic and, ultimately, the notion of democratization. Through an analysis of Hamlet’s speech, particularly in response to King Claudius, this paper suggests that a democratizing percept is intrinsically rooted in this work and further elucidated upon careful consideration of Ranciere’s The Emancipated Spectator. By exploring Ranciere’s notion of active engagement with the “third thing,” this paper highlights the democratic politics that encompass... Mon, 15 Jun 2015 09:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1048/polysemic-language-democratization-and-the-empowerment-of-the-body-politic-in-shakespeares-hamlet http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1586/do-western-educated-middle-east-leaders-pass-the-democracy-test By Jessica Agostinelli - The purpose of this research is to study this linkage and its implications for democratization efforts in the Arab World. First, a large-N study is used to see the overall impact in this region of Western education of a leader with its Economist Intelligence Unit democracy index. Then, to delve deeper into the issue, two cases will be examined: that of Gaddafi, the Libyan president who was not Western-educated and was highly nationalist, and his Tunisian counterpart Ben Ali, who was Western-educated and whose country is often regarded as the sole success story of the Arab Spring. The discourse... Sun, 31 May 2015 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1586/do-western-educated-middle-east-leaders-pass-the-democracy-test http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/725/regime-change-processes-in-the-republic-of-georgia-challenges-to-stability-and-democracy By Salvatore J. Freni - Of the three states in the South Caucasus, Georgia has experienced the most political instability since the collapse of the USSR. Some scholars even described the country in the immediate aftermath of independence as a failed state. Despite the political elites’ denunciation of the Soviet authoritarian regime, it seems that the nature of political power in the Republic of Georgia still closely resembles that of its predecessor. In its twenty years of existence, Georgia has experienced three regime changes. The first was the struggle for independence, led by Zviad Gamsakhurdia who in turn... Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:33 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/725/regime-change-processes-in-the-republic-of-georgia-challenges-to-stability-and-democracy http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/695/pressing-disengagement-chiles-transition-to-democracy-after-augusto-pinochets-1973-military-coup By Alexander E. Hopkins - Although he left office in March 1990, dictator Augusto Pinochet effectively held absolute power in Chile from 1973-1988. His September 1973 military coup proved that a charismatic individual could set the goals of the state by using hard power to affect national politics. While Chilean citizens did not want to support Pinochet, the military regime proved that open dissent was a fatal option. In 1987, due to international humanitarian pressure, Pinochet legalized outside non-Marxist political parties to add legitimacy to his regime. While Pinochet controlled the media, propagandizing capitalist... Sat, 15 Sep 2012 12:21 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/695/pressing-disengagement-chiles-transition-to-democracy-after-augusto-pinochets-1973-military-coup http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1232/the-odd-couple-modernization-and-democratization-in-southeast-asia By Nicholas Anderson - Seymour Martin Lipset's, "the more well-to-do a nation, the greater chances that it will sustain democracy,"1 has set off over five decades of intense debate over the conditions most conducive to democratic transition and establishment. Variations of what has become known as the modernization theory have been applied to innumerable cases in a variety of ways, in attempts to test its validity. In the process, Southeast Asia (SEA) has emerged as a region which seemingly defies the general thrust of this theory.2 With both incredibly rich authoritarian regimes and incredibly poor democracies, on... Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1232/the-odd-couple-modernization-and-democratization-in-southeast-asia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/278/crime-and-development-in-kenya-emerging-trends-and-the-transnational-implications-of-political-economic-and-social-instability By Samuel L. Aronson - The porous borders between countries as well as the extensive coastline make it difficult to accurately track and pursue criminal activity. The median age in East Africa is between16 and 19 years old, which is directly in the center of the average criminal demographic worldwide. This means that there is little likelihood for a decline in crime rates anytime in the near future (UNODC, 2009). In addition to the above factors that offer little hope for crime experts worldwide, there has been a significant decrease in active policing and law enforcement in Kenya, while criminal behavior is steadily... Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/278/crime-and-development-in-kenya-emerging-trends-and-the-transnational-implications-of-political-economic-and-social-instability http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/122/a-river-for-freedom-the-itaipu-hyrdoelectric-project-and-the-democratization-of-paraguay By Tonei Glavinic - From 1954 to 1989, Paraguay was subject to the authoritarian regime of Alfredo Stroessner and the Colorado Party. While Stroessner came to power at a time of great economic strife, it was the most prosperous time of his regime that led to his downfall – the construction of the Itaipú hydroelectric project on the Paraguay-Brazil border. While the project gave temporary prosperity to the country, its completion led to economic stagnation and gave opportunistic individuals the capital necessary to take over the party and position themselves to succeed Stroessner. These militantes, &ldquo... Wed, 13 Jan 2010 10:35 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/122/a-river-for-freedom-the-itaipu-hyrdoelectric-project-and-the-democratization-of-paraguay http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1285/rethinking-the-premise-of-democracy-promotion By Arthur Goldsmith - U.S. foreign policy exemplifies a broad Wilsonian consensus about the value of democracy promotion. The “forward strategy of freedom,” for example, has been the cornerstone of the Bush administration’s geopolitics, but it was not very many years earlier that President Clinton committed the United States to a policy of “democratic enlargement” aimed at growing the number of democracies in the world. Both Senators Barack Obama and John McCain were sponsors of the ADVANCE Democracy Act of 2005. Even after the debacle in Iraq, there is little dissent from the idea that... Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1285/rethinking-the-premise-of-democracy-promotion http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1286/fragile-foundations-and-infant-institutions-the-case-of-non-reform-in-haiti By Katie Engelhart - Despite the rapid series of regime changes that have occurred in Haiti over the past twenty five years, fundamental shifts in the nature of the state have not materialized. Haiti is essentially a case of economic non-reform; it has failed to undergo neoliberal reforms and become integrated in the global market. As the country moves away from dictatorship and through a series of democratically elected governments, it becomes increasingly evident that the nature of the country’s economic program is not dependent on ideology. Neither dictator nor elected president has been able to modernize... Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1286/fragile-foundations-and-infant-institutions-the-case-of-non-reform-in-haiti http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1296/country-of-contradictions-mexicos-transition-to-modernity By Lauren Herget - A country’s transition from Cold War-era third-world dependence into competitive, global autonomy is often a difficult and complicated process. Like many other developing nations today, Mexico is meeting its fair share of stumbling blocks on its way to democracy. Mexico’s fissured and conflicted present is thanks to a checkered past, rife with one-party politics and ethically dubious environmental policies. Although inching towards free-market capitalist democracy, Mexico still faces many struggles. But hope still remains for Mexico on the whole: Mexico’s recently elected president... Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1296/country-of-contradictions-mexicos-transition-to-modernity