Demanding democracy

by Deborah J. Yashar

Demanding Democracy argues that the democratizing coalition's success in Costa Rica and its failure in Guatemala rested on its capacity to redistribute elite property early and exercise effective political control of the countryside. The book's distinct theoretical approach integrates an analysis of the conditions fostering democracy with an analysis of those conducive to its endurance. In doing so, it bridges arguments that focus on democratic transitions and those that focus on their consolidation. Moreover, it moves beyond debates about the role of structure and agency in these processes by focusing on the interaction between historical institutions that favor authoritarian rule and the political coalitions that work to remake those institutions in ways consonant with democracy.