The Comparison and Contrast of South Korea and Poland's Experience with Democratization
The Comparison and Contrast of South Korea and Poland 's Experience with Democratization
Democratization is a major global event that has occurred throughout the twentieth century. This accelerated political change began in Southern Europe in the mid 1970s, extending to Latin America and parts of Asia in the 1980s, and finally moving on to parts of sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in the late 1980s.1 "The word democratization can be specified as the processes of democracy or as the transitional stage of government from non-democratic to the various emerging forms of power sharing, governance and public accountability in new regimes.2" As democratization developed, it was clear that some countries experienced a successful transition to democracy, while some fell into the group of struggling democracies and others collapsed entirely.3 Both South Korea and Poland are consolidated democracies after many long years in the process of democratization. This was possible due to the influence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers in the countries ' transition to democracy. The countries ' experiences with democratization were similar as they were shaped by their superpower 's influence but were led into democratic transition due to different motives. Both South Korea and Poland have evident characteristics in common when comparing each of their experiences with democratization. A important factor they share is that both South Korea and Poland emerged from World War II closely linked to a superpower. South Korea and the United States were linked while Poland with the Soviet Union. These relations that both states shared with these superpowers had a profound effect on their engagement with democratization. Both states were under an authoritarian rule, which later caused mass mobilization in forms of protests in South Korea and social movements in Poland that were the triggers for
Democratization is a major global event that has occurred throughout the twentieth century. This accelerated political change began in Southern Europe in the mid 1970s, extending to Latin America and parts of Asia in the 1980s, and finally moving on to parts of sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in the late 1980s.1 "The word democratization can be specified as the processes of democracy or as the transitional stage of government from non-democratic to the various emerging forms of power sharing, governance and public accountability in new regimes.2" As democratization developed, it was clear that some countries experienced a successful transition to democracy, while some fell into the group of struggling democracies and others collapsed entirely.3 Both South Korea and Poland are consolidated democracies after many long years in the process of democratization. This was possible due to the influence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers in the countries ' transition to democracy. The countries ' experiences with democratization were similar as they were shaped by their superpower 's influence but were led into democratic transition due to different motives. Both South Korea and Poland have evident characteristics in common when comparing each of their experiences with democratization. A important factor they share is that both South Korea and Poland emerged from World War II closely linked to a superpower. South Korea and the United States were linked while Poland with the Soviet Union. These relations that both states shared with these superpowers had a profound effect on their engagement with democratization. Both states were under an authoritarian rule, which later caused mass mobilization in forms of protests in South Korea and social movements in Poland that were the triggers for
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