Comparing New Democracies: Transition and Consolidation in Mediterranean Europe and the Southern Cone

The transition to democracy has been a significant trend in Mediterranean Europe and Latin America during the last ten years. This book presents comparative analyses that offer a theoretical synthesis of the dynamics of recent democratization processes on both sides of the Atlantic. The contributors argue that transition is a response to fundamentally political factors. They describe how dictatorships deteriorate and collapse, how key events in the early stages of transition may encourage the military to withdraw from politics, and what the requirements are for a democratic outcome. The second part of the book focuses on the specific processes of transition and consolidation occurring in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Finally, a crucial dilemma of democratic consolidation―the issue of govemability― is examined within the framework of the relationship between social structure and political institutionalization.