Abstract
Highlighting the fact that only 18 of the 47 Muslim majority countries (MMCs) have democracy (or ‘semi-democracy’), Chap. 14 uses three theses (the culturalist thesis, the modernization thesis, and colonial/post-colonial thesis) to explain the phenomenon. It argues that the explanation for democracy and development in the MMCs must take into consideration the legacies of colonialism and the policies adopted by the post-colonial elites in their attempt at state and nation building. This chapter concludes that experiences even from the MMC democracies suggest that the negative effects of colonial legacies could be countered by political elites. The achievement of democracy targeted towards human development is likely to be contingent upon the elite’s commitment to democratic rule, agreement among themselves in containing conflict and violence and to establish civilian control and supremacy.
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Notes
- 1.
This report of 232 countries is based on census reports and population surveys and was released in October 2009.
- 2.
Dahl labelled democracy as “polyarchy” because he considered “democracy” as an unachievable ideal.
- 3.
- 4.
Esposito 1991, pp. 137, 141, 181–183, 231, 245–246.
- 5.
Interestingly, Przeworski finds that once a democracy emerges, for whatever reasons, it is more likely to survive in a wealthy than in a poor country. He writes that no democracy has ever fallen in a country with a per capita income higher than that of Argentina in 1975 (US$ 6,055), whereas about 70 democracies have collapsed in poorer countries).
- 6.
Questions diplomatique et colonials, 15 May 1901, p. 588. Cited in Bukhary 1982, p. 5.
- 7.
Cited in Englebert et al. 2002, pp. 3–6.
- 8.
Information collected from Monty G. Marshall and Keith Jaggers, Polity IV Country Reports 2008 at http://www.systemicpeace.org/polity/polity06.htm (accessed 15 July 2010); Central Intelligence Agency, The WorldFact Book at https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html (accessed 15 July 2010).
- 9.
See EX-DESIGNS, World History and Events, at http://www.ex-designz.net/history.asp (accessed 13 July 2010).
- 10.
Albania, for instance, has used its resources wisely and thus managed to improve its customs and tax services and to modernize and liberalize its trade regime.
- 11.
US Department of State, “Diplomacy in Action, Background Note: Albania, June 14, 2010” at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3235.htm (accessed 30 July 2010).
- 12.
Indonesia: Diplomatic Handbook (Washington: International Business Publications, 2008), 68.
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Moten, A.R. (2012). Democracy and Development in the Muslim World. In: Hasan, S. (eds) The Muslim World in the 21st Century. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2633-8_14
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