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From Undemocratic To Democratic Civil Society: Japan's Volunteer Fire Departments, Mary Alice Haddad

Mary Alice Haddad

How do undemocratic civic organizations become compatible with democratic civil society? How do local organizations merge older patriarchal, hierarchical values and practices with newer more egalitarian, democratic ones? This article tells the story of how volunteer fire departments have done this in Japan. Their transformation from centralized war instrument of an authoritarian regime to local community safety organization of a full-fledged democracy did not happen overnight. A slow process of demographic and value changes helped the organization adjust to more democratic social values and practices. The way in which this organization made the transition offers important lessons for emerging democracies …

Andean Left Turns: Constituent Power And Constitution-Making, Maxwell A. Cameron, Kenneth E. Sharpe

Maxwell Cameron

"Cameron and Sharpe begin with the observation that Latin American left turns have occurred within the framework of electoral democracy, and that the concerns about the 'illiberalism' of the left (or indeed of some Latin American democracies generally) are belied by a remarkable commitment to constitutionalism on the part of precisely those leaders who have emerged in countries where liberal and republican institutions have historically been most weak: the Andes. Yet the commitment to constitutionalism can limit the possibilities for fundamental reform. Cameron and Sharpe see the allure of 'constituent power' as a formula for attempting 'foundational' change without revolutionary …

A Theory Of Military Dictatorships, Daron Acemoglu, Davide Ticchi, Andrea Vindigni

Davide Ticchi