Democracy in Retreat, Modernization Theory, Criticism

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Democracy in Retreat
Introduction
After World War 1, World War 2 and subsequently the Cold War, countries in various regions began to gain ground and stability. Economic freedom became more apparent as even those countries that had been colonized gained independence. Modernization is one of the schools of thought that have argued that with the onset of modernization (adaptation to new policies and practice with the changing times) directly translate to better economic performance. Further, modernization theorists state that with the development in economic policies, what must follow is a spread of democracy to various parts of the world. As such, modernization theory has equated economic development to liberalization and hence spread of democracy. However, is this really the case? Is democracy more widespread now than it was in the past? Are countries more liberal or is democracy taking a retreat? In his book, author Joshua Kurlantzick has challenges the arguments of modernization theory. He has given evidence to show that instead of spreading, democracy has retreated. This paper has taken a critical look at some of the arguments fronted by the both the modernization theory as well as Joshua. The comparative analysis is to establish the correct position in regard to democracy.
Modernization Theory
Modernization theory was developed based on a school of thought that there is need for societies to transaction from a traditional lifestyle to a new modern lifestyle. This is in recognition that the world has become dynamic and that there is need for countries to stay in tandem with the changing times. According to the developers of modernization theory, the developments of the early 1900s including the various wars that took place set a platform upon which developments was to set in. They further argued that with the world becoming a global village and countries becoming economically liberal, spread of democracy was inevitable.
Modernization theory is of the view that as societies transition from their traditional conservative lifestyle to a more modern one, there is increased formal education and mass media development. As a result, democracy would be fostered among the various institutions in the political arena. Other sectors that were impacted positively include communication, transport and housing.
Criticism of Modernization Theory
Joshua notes that although the environment for democracy to grow as outlined in the modernization theory is in existence, democracy has instead stunted instead of spreading. He notes that there are certain forces that threaten the growth of democracy and laments that unfortunately; the world is blind from realization of reality. Among the key factors that he identifies as hindering growth of democracy is the rise of China. China has joined the world superpowers as one of the main forces in the industrial market. Most of the superpowers define the trend in the rest of the world both economically and politically. China is generally very traditional and conservative. Consequently, they have remained adamant to conform to what is seen as western values, trends and practices. This is seen as having a negative effect on democracy as there is no o...