Topic > Successful Consolidation of Democracy in Nigeria and India

IndexDemocracy and Democratic ConsolidationDemocratic Consolidation of NigeriaDemocratic Consolidation of IndiaDuring the pre-modern age there was less contact between people who were exposed to other cultures. These people worshiped and believed in their gods which they shared and were unquestioned within and without their place of residence. These pre-modern societies were ideologically controlled by themselves. Even in modern societies, racial and religious groups are still concentrated in their homelands, but due to globalization, most places in the world have become multiracial and multireligious. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Saying this means that in the world we live in now there is no community or society that can no longer live in isolation from others, even so countries that try to avoid foreign values ​​now have no voice to reject them as pluralism comes in in the form of travel, migration, trade and through the media (Jorgen, 2000). A populous democracy is defined as a system of government that involves all political actions and in which citizens vote. In these countries that practice democracy nothing happens until 50.1% of the people within that country vote and this is done to promote majority rules in order to increase the number of satisfied citizens. In these countries that practice democracy the government only caters to the public where private companies and businesses are prohibited from any political involvement by any means in that country. This essay will begin by providing information on what democratic consolidation is and will also discuss how democracy has been successfully consolidated in Nigeria and India. This essay will further discuss how different colonial experiences influence democracy in these two countries. Democracy and Democratic Consolidation Democracy is a system of government in which citizens of a country exercise their power by voting for a president or candidates in a political party. According to Almond, Powell, Strom and Dalton (2004) “democracy is a political system in which citizens enjoy a range of fundamental civil and political rights and in which their most important political leaders are elected in free, fair and accountable elections under the rule of law." There are different types of democracy, classified as direct democracy, representative democracy, semi-democracy, liberal democracy, consolidated democracy and new democracy. Direct democracy is one in which all citizens form a governing body in which they will vote directly on every issue. and in representative democracy citizens independently choose or elect a representative. Representatives also come together to form a governing body such as a legislature. Liberal democracy took its roots in Europe as a form of government that has spread throughout the world for years. According to Anton M (2017) stated that “liberal democracy can be defined as a minimal procedural and political system in which political parties compete for control of the government through relatively free and fair elections”. The advantage of liberal democracy is that it limits the government's power over the citizens of a given country. According to Schedler (1998) stated that “democratic consolidation was intended to label the challenges that make the new democracy safe”. The term democratic consolidation indicates a process in which the new democracy matures and does not have to return to an authoritarian regime with the presence of external shocks. “Democratic consolidation is the identifiable phase in the transition from authoritarian government to civilian governmentand, by extension, in democratic systems that are relevant and fundamental to the creation and enthronement of stable, institutional and lasting government.democracy” (Schedler, 1998). Democratic consolidation is achieved when the people and government are organized and form a connected system through institutions, ethics, culture and support systems that will be useful in promoting stability and efficiency. Some scholars believe that democratic consolidation does not mean that it involves a high-quality society or high-quality democracy, since elections are the most crucial components of democratic consolidation. Democratic Consolidation of Nigeria Nigeria is considered one of the most populous states in Africa, with an average population estimated at approximately 178 million people. Nigeria is the most ethnically diverse state on the African continent with a mix of different nationalities. According to Uduma (2009) stated that “Nigeria is a pluralistic society both in terms of ethnic and religious composition”. Nigeria's democratic experience has created competitive, multi-party electoral democracies that have remained stable and uninterrupted since 1999. In addition to local elections, Nigeria has had four sets of general elections in the past decade. Nigeria was considered partially free in 1999 and managed to maintain its status as a country in 2011. If one were to compare the 2011 elections in Nigeria with past elections, one could conclude that they improved the democratic status of the country, due to In past elections, electoral violence occurred which prevented the country from improving its democratic status. According to Etteh (2009) stated that “Nigeria has been considered democratically reversed, despite the sequence of the electoral cycle, since 1999”. From 1999 to 2011, candidates adopted strategies that they used to try to stay in power. “The reality is that everywhere in politics, incumbent governments and entrenched/ruling parties do not lose elections easily” (Amuwo 2009). There are some challenges that have hindered Nigeria in elections that may prevent Nigeria from consolidating democratically. The challenges are voter apathy, democracy manipulated by elites, gender issues and parties without ideologies. Most people in Nigeria did not use the opportunity to vote in the 2011 elections to vote for a leader they wanted and some parties in the elections had no ideologies that hindered the consolidation of democracy. According to Amuwo (2009) stated that “almost all post-colonial governments in Nigeria to date have been thrust into power without a concise national ideology, let alone a popular and liberating one”. To consolidate Nigeria's democracy, it needs to involve the participation of all citizens, men and women, as both genders are citizens of the country. They violate human rights, i.e. the right to vote. Democratic Consolidation of India India is one of the oldest democracies in third world countries. In the 1970s, India experienced an authoritarian period for two years and managed to hold elections in federal units. Democracy in India in recent years was controlled by religion and social groups. India has suffered several attacks from citizens and ethno-religious groups who wanted autonomy and independence. Democracy succeeded across India and India became an example for other third world countries that were facing the same form of democratic change. These are two theories that are mostly related to Indian democracy. The two theories that relate to Indian democracy are namely the minimalist and maximalist theoretical framework/positions. The minimalist position.