democracy! or democracy?

A little late, but, better late than never. Last weeks assignment asked us to find two examples of adjective democracy in the news and analyze them using Collier and Levitsky’s concepts and terminology.

Example 1: In a recent letter to the European Union, a number of dissidents, anti-communists, opposition members and intellectuals have urged the EU to force Hungary to adopt tough democratic regulations following the implementation of highly restrictive media control law. They claim that Hungary has become a full-fledged illiberal democracy. In the context of the article, the labeling of Hungary as an illiberal democracy might be useful because it suggests that while a fair elective system is in place, another element of democracy, in this instance civil rights or freedom of speech, is missing. This example is clear in its avoidance of conceptual stretching, in this way.

Example 2: In a recent commentary on the political situation in East Africa , one writer has tongue-in-cheek used the term military democracy. It refers to the change of suit, where generals don civilian clothing, but, remaining, in effect, military leaders who preside over parliament. This is a clear example of conceptual stretching, where, assumptions are made that countries in East Africa are in fact democracies rather than authoritarian or military regimes. Contrary to the instance of Hungary, this also makes use of the minimalist definition of democracy as being defined by electoral systems.