The Historical Turn in Democratization Studies

A New Research Agenda for Europe and Beyond

Bibliographic Data

ID7728016
AuthorsGiovanni Capoccia (0000-0002-7508-0290, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK, [email protected]), Daniel Ziblatt (0000-0002-3401-6567, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA)
Year2010
Volume43
Issue8-9
Pages931-968
Publication date2010-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueComparative Political Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0010-4140 • E-ISSN: 1552-3829
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0010414010370431
OpenAlexW2154644194
LanguageEN
Citations received158
References cited91

This article lays the theoretical and methodological foundations of a new historically minded approach to the comparative study of democratization, centered on the analysis of the creation, development, and interaction of democratic institutions. Historically, democracy did not emerge as a singular coherent whole but rather as a set of different institutions, which resulted from conflicts across multiple lines of social and political cleavage that took place at different moments in time. The theoretical advantage of this approach is illustrated by highlighting the range of new variables that come into focus in explaining democracy’s emergence. Rather than class being the single variable that explains how and why democracy came about, scholars can see how religious conflict, ethnic cleavages, and the diffusion of ideas played a much greater role in Europe’s democratization than has typically been appreciated. Above all, the authors argue that political parties were decisive players in how and why democracy emerged in Europe and should be at the center of future analyses

Cleavage (geology · Comparative politics · Democracy · Democratization · Economic system · Economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Sociology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Social Policy and Reform Studies

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