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Mass Movements and Plebiscitary Democracy: Political Change in Central Eastern Europe

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 09:53 authored by Jan PakulskiJan Pakulski
High expectations of prompt establishment of stable parliamentary democracy in central eastern Europe (CEE) have been dashed by outbursts of populism. Such expectations were unrealistic. This paper argues that the key aspect of change in CEE involved first the mobilisation of mass protest movements and, subsequently, the ‘normalisation’ of these movements into new regimes. These processes are unlikely to lead directly to stable parliamentary democracies. Rather, as Max Weber's analyses suggest, the normalisation of mass movements leads in the direction of ‘plebiscitary democracy’. The development of stable parliamentary democracy in post-communist CEE is hindered by the residues of the very mass mobilisations which initiated the process of democratic change. © 1995, SAGE Publications. All rights reserved.

History

Publication title

International Sociology

Volume

10

Issue

4

Pagination

409-426

ISSN

0268-5809

Department/School

School of Social Sciences

Publisher

Sage Publications Ltd

Publication status

  • Published

Place of publication

London

Socio-economic Objectives

280123 Expanding knowledge in human society

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