Which democracies failed

It delves deep into long-forgotten electoral histories to emerge with insights of Tocquevillian power, to illuminate not only the past but also the present and future. The non-rich always outnumber the rich. Democracy enables the many to outvote the few: a profoundly threatening prospect to the few. If the few possess power and wealth, they may respond to this prospect by resisting democracy before it arrives—or sabotaging it afterward.

Yet despite this potential threat to the formation and endurance of democracy, wealthy countries do often transition peacefully to democracy—and then preserve its stability for decades afterward.

The classic example is the United Kingdom. Britain commenced a long process of widening the franchise in By , all adult British men could vote; all British women by Through that period—and then through the Great Depression, the Second World War, and the construction of the welfare state after —British politics remained peaceful and stable, offering remarkably little space for radical ideologies of any kind.

You could tell a similar story about Sweden universal male voting by ; for women by , or—with allowances for foreign military occupation in wartime—about Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Once democracy was extended, it was never again seriously questioned by local elites, even when it taxed them heavily. But this is emphatically not the story of the rest of Europe, most especially not Germany, but also Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and so on.

These politicians of today are more like Sultans of yesteryears. Even if they lose elections they have over a period of time amassed so much influence and wealth that they are no less than a King. Something needs to be done; a nation cannot go on like this in a self destructive mode. Can such a society handle this current crisis? We need to be prepared; we need to learn from China, we need to strike a balance, between arguments and execution, between protests and acceptance.

You never know time may be running out and so we need to act fast. Can Mamata go national? Successful coalitions at the Centre have been usually headed by leaders with weak power bases. Is a green Diwali possible? Ultra right and wrong: Women in India face a new threat to their freedom of choice. Nehru, Iqbal, cricket and the question of Muslim identity. Hate smug liberals? Will history say Xi Huzoor? Interested in blogging for timesofindia. We will be happy to have you on board as a blogger, if you have the knack for writing.

Democracy faces a global crisis. We have seen 12 consecutive years of erosion in global levels of political rights and civil liberties, with many more countries declining than gaining each year, according to the nonprofit group Freedom House. Over the past decade, one in six democracies has failed. You may change your billing preferences at any time in the Customer Center or call Customer Service.

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