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You are here: Analysis > Special Reports > View Special Report |
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View Special Report |
How Freedom is Won: From Civic Struggle to Durable Democracy
May 24, 2005
By Adrian Karatnycky and Peter Ackerman
A major new study shows that nonviolent "people power" movements are the strongest force in most successful transitions to democracy. The report focuses on 67 countries where dictatorships have fallen since 1972.
The study, "How Freedom is Won: From Civic Struggle to Durable Democracy," focuses on 67 countries where dictatorships have fallen since 1972. It draws on over 30 years of Freedom House data analyzing the state of global freedom and is the most comprehensive examination of political transitions ever conducted. The report's central conclusion is that how a transition from authoritarianism occurs and the forces that drive the transition have significant impact on the success or failure of democratic reform. In large measure, the study finds that transitions generated by nonviolent civic coalitions lead to far better results for freedom than top-down transitions initiated by elites. The study finds that "people power" is a frequent phenomenon, and civic coalitions are a major presence in most transitions.
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