The lingering liberal moment: An historical perspective on the global durability of democracy after 1989

• Published in: Democratization Vol. 6; no. 2; pp. 1 - 41
• Main Author: Green, Daniel M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.06.1999
• Subjects: DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AND INSTITUTIONS; Democratization; GLOBALIZATION, ON A GLOBAL SCALE; Historical analysis; LIBERALISM; PEACE, PEACE MOVEMENT, PEACE GROUPS; Post-Cold War; STABILITY OR INSTABILITY; STUDY OF HISTORY AS SUBJECT MATTER
• ISSN: 1351-0347; 1743-890X
• DOI: 10.1080/13510349908403610

The durability of the current great expansion of democratizations since 1989 has important implications for international peace and stability and for popular political freedoms in numerous polities. Yet how should we think about the likely longevity of this global democratic pulse? This article argues for a shift in analytic focus away from national-level domestic processes and up to the international-systemic level. Examining the historical instances of country democratizations in the twentieth century, one finds considerable activity in post-war 'liberal moments' after World War I and World War II and in the current post-cold war moment (the strongest and most clearly defined). The article outlines the dynamics of these moments, examines the two post-world war moments comparatively, and then applies this to analysis of the current third moment since 1989. This exercise reveals the systemic environment of the current moment to be an extraordinarily good one in historical terms. The permissive effect of a relaxed international security environment, combined with the energetic democracy promotion policies and new democratic institution-building interventions of many states and international organizations, is fuelling a liberal moment and expansion of democracy now almost a decade long. Such findings suggest a need to reassess the power of systemic factors to aid in crafting democracy in a diversity of country contexts.