Democratic Transitions in Comparative Perspective
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Abstract
In spite of the broad-ranging nature of the literature on democratic transitions, it is possible to provide a general assessment of the state of the literature. This review stresses a series of disagreements concerning the effect of the ancien regime on the processes of transition and democratic consolidation and the effect of the transitional process on the problems of democratic consolidation. It argues that these disagreements are linked to different theoretical and methodological approaches. A political-institutional approach is advanced to resolve these disagreements. This approach stresses the importance of choices during the transitional period and emphasizes both the impact of choices on the institutions of new democracies and the need to place actors within the broader context of the transitional moment.