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More Than Elections: How Democracies Transfer Power

January 2010

January 2010

Democracy requires more than holding elections. Healthy democracies are defined by the expectations of citizens and the common rules, understandings, and trust they build. This eJournal USA explores the contours of civil society and political legitimacy within which peaceful transitions of power can occur.

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Inside This Publication

Volume 15, Number 1, ISSN 1948-4399 (online)

FROM THE EDITORS

PREPARING THE GROUND

  • More Than Elections

    Eric Bjornlund, Co-Founder and Principal of Democracy International, Inc.
    Elections are just a starting point in a healthy democracy: The true test is a stable government that protects minority rights, rule of law, and free speech, and promotes a strong civil society.

  • Ingredients of a Resilient Democracy

    Valerie Bunce, Professor of Government and Aaron Binenkorb Chair of International Studies, Cornell University
    Elections in a healthy democracy hold governments accountable to the governed and ensure stability.

  • The Lasting Impact of Digital Media on Civil Society

    Philip N. Howard, Associate Professor, Department of Communications, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
    Individual citizens and civil society groups employ digital media and social networking tools to communicate rapidly, verbally and visually — sometimes for political mobilization and dissent.

Photo Gallery

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  • Democracy’s Rhetoric of Defeat

    Paul Corcoran, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Adelaide, Australia
    Concession speeches, particularly after hardfought elections, reinforce government stability by reconciling citizens to election results.

  • Civil Society, Democracy, and Elections

    Bruce Gilley, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
    Strong civil societies hold elected officials responsible for good governance and cultivate the political conditions in which democracy can thrive.

  • The 2008-2009 U. S. Presidential Transition: Successful Cooperation

    Martha Joynt Kumar, Professor of Political Science, Towson University, Towson, Maryland, and Director of the White House Transition Project
    The smoothest handovers from one administration to another require long months of advance work and cooperation by outgoing and incoming presidents.

RESOURCES

TRANSFERRING POWER

  • Hoover to Roosevelt: Transition in a Time of Crisis

    Donald A. Ritchie, Historian of the United States Senate
    The transition from Republican president Herbert Hoover to Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression occurred during a time of great economic and political stress, but nevertheless was peaceful.

  • How a Partially Free Election Altered Poland

    Anna Husarska, Translator, Journalist, and Humanitarian Worker
    A first-hand account of Poland’s 1989 election and of how the Solidarity movement and other civil society groups helped establish Polish democracy.

  • Authoritarian Rule to European Union: Romania and Moldova

    Grigore Pop-Eleches, Assistant Professor of Politics, Public and International Affairs, Princeton University
    Two former Communist bloc states have followed different paths toward democracy. Civil society has played a role both in Romania, now a European Union member, and Moldova, an aspiring member.

  • “Serbian Autumn” Delayed: A Lesson in Uncivil Democracy-Building

    Zoran Cirjakovic, Journalist and Lecturer
    Sometimes civil society organizations are less effective than seasoned political dealmakers in achieving a democratic outcome.