Three Temporal Dimensions to the Consolidation of Democracy

Abstract

The study of democratization, more than most fields of comparative political inquiry, should be sensitive to the time factor. When something happens, as well as in what order and with what rhythm, can be even more important in determining the outcome than whether something happens or what happens. As “transitologists” and “consolidologists” have moved away from structural determinants of democracy toward a more process- and actor-oriented approach, they have also had to become more explicit about different dimensions of temporality. In this article, we explore three of them: time, timing and tempo.