Democracy and Human Rights in Developing Countries - Hardcover

Arat, Zehra F.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1555871704 ISBN 13: 9781555871703

Publisher: Lynne Rienner, 1991

Synopsis

In the early 1950s, modernization theorists were optimistic about the future of democracy in newly emerging states, perceiving it as the form of government that would evolve ultimately from the process of economic development and modernization. The new democracies, however, have failed to maintain stability and have vacillated between democratic and authoritarian regimes. Through a synthesis of the theories of modernization, dependency, and bureaucratic authoritarianism, Professor Arat explains this instability in terms of the imbalance between two groups of human rights: civil-political and socioeconomic. Arguing against those who believe that socioeconomic rights are group rights that can be maintained only at the expense of individual, civil-political rights, or vice versa - and a trade-off between liberty and equality is inevitable - Arat demonstrates that the stability of democracy requires a balance between the two groups of human rights. A historical review and an empirical analysis of more than 120 countries support her thesis that developing countries that recognize civil-political rights and establish democratic systems fail to maintain them if they neglect socioeconomic rights.

About this title

About the Author

Zehra F. Arat is a professor of Political Science and Women?s Studies at Purchase College of SUNY since 1989. She publishes on topics including democracy, human rights, women?s rights, and development issues. She is the founding president of the human rights section of the American Political Science Association.

Edition details

• Publisher: Lynne Rienner
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1555871704
• ISBN 13: 9781555871703
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 217