Public Opinion and Democracy in Transitional Regimes A Comparative Perspective

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the Colour Revolutions and the Arab Spring, the world?s share of democracies has stagnated over the past 15 years. The steady rise of China, Russia, and Iran has also led to warnings of a resurgence of "authoritarian great powers", especially in light of the financial crisis centred in the USA and Western Europe. On the positive side, however, democracy remains remarkably popular as an ideal. In the Global barometer?s most recent survey, two out of three respondents say democracy is their most favoured political system, including a majority in 49 of the 55 countries. Yet there is evidence, much expanded upon in this edited collection, that commitments to liberal democracy in practice are not as strong. Nominally pro-democratic citizens frequently favour limitations on electoral accountability and individual rights in the service of improved governance or economic growth. Further, there are rising concerns that many citizens, especially across the developing world, are turning away from democracy out of frustration with democratic performance. In contrast to many transitional regimes, the more established democracies appear to be losing support among their highly educated citizens. The contributions in this edited collection compare how democracy is understood and experienced in transitioning regimes and established democracies.

This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties.

1. Public Support for Democracy in Transitional Regimes 2. Cultural Hybridization in East Asia: Exploring an Alternative to the Global Democratization Thesis 3. Authoritarian Durability: Public Opinion towards Democracy in Southeast Asia 4. Democratic Consolidation: Participation and Attitudes Toward Democracy in Taiwan and South Korea 5. The Stabilization of Authoritarian Rule in Russia? 6. Electoral Integrity and Support for Democracy in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine 7. Democratic Scepticism and Political Participation in Europe

Juliet Pietsch is a senior Lecturer at the Australian National University in Political Science.

Michael Miller is an Assistant Professor at George Washington University.

Jeffrey Karp is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Exeter.