Type of regime, institutions and the probability of democratisation: the governing monarchy as the most resistant to democracy.

Authors

  • KAMAL MEJAHDI

Keywords:

regime types, governing monarchy, legitimacy, democratization, atomization.

Abstract

This work deals with the following important question: is the existence of a traditional governing monarchy favourable to democratization or is it a negative element? In this respect authors advance very controversial points of view. Nevertheless, analysis of dynamics at work in actual monarchical countries, eg, how they generate public revenues, the socioeconomic structure and their institutional character, gives powerful support to an argument suggesting that such monarchy acts as a hindrance to democratic forms of government: its rentier nature, its patrimonial legitimate character, its consolidated atomization of social structure, have turned it into a regime immunized against the process of political change, lagging behind other types of regime when it comes to democratization.

Published

2008-04-04