The paper will focus on how various paths of transition from authoritarian rule did result in establishments of liberal politial systems , One important aspect is the correspondance between an underlying social pact social or "social contract" and the end-product of the political system. With the lack of willingsness for social compromises the transition would rather lead to various forms of neo-authoritarianism or just the succession of new authoritarian leaders. Former research on transtion to democracy has focues on the pact procedures, but not studied how pacts could come about or not. The heavy insterest in founding and cirtical elections, has too much geered the interest towards technical, instutional mechanisms, rather then the focus on social interests.
