Democracy and Democratisation

Democratisation, autocratic stability and the role of cultural factors Key aims and objectives: The section aims at deepening the knowledge on the impact cultural factors have on autocratic stability and democratic change. Contrary to expectations of a global democratic breakthrough, one must come to the conclusion that a considerable number of enduring autocratic regimes exists. This finally led to a revival, not only of the research of democratisation, but of democratic regression and autocratic stability as well. This field of research has mainly been dominated by economic and institutionalist approaches, whilst neglecting cultural factors. It can be argued that both, the stability and political change of any kind of regime, cannot only rely on its economic development and institutional setting, but that research ought to include the cultural dimension of politics. The section addresses the role of culture (religion, language, ethnicity), political culture and cultural heterogeneity for the explanation of regime stability and the prospects of regime change, be it democratic or autocratic. Ideas for Panels and Papers: The section welcomes theoretical and empirical contributions which assess the nature, importance, effect and conditions of impact of different cultural factors for democratic transitions and consolidation, as well for autocratic stability and the transition from an autocratic subtype to another. The section invites panels and papers of a great geographical and methodological variety.