Stories, Identities, and Political Change
(Processes and Mechanisms of Democratization)
Charles Tilly
Mike Oren
Tilly’s how-question: How (e.g. what are the causes and under what conditions) do states become democratized when rationally acting actors in
power have “strong incentives and means to block [the process]” (p. 191)?
Tilly’s relational-mechanisms: For a state to undergo democratization it must have a high protected consultation value as well as sufficient
governmental capacity, this sets up the appropriate condition in which democratization can occur. The change comes from a shock to the system
(conquest, confrontation, colonization, or revolution). This shock then leads to changes in public politics (destruction or incorporation of nongovernmental networks, militaries, etc. as well or a breaking or changing in the cycles that control resources), a reduction of categorical
inequalities, and an increase in the governmental network of trust (external guarantees, absorption/destruction of patron-client networks, long-term
risky opportunities only capable of being handled by the new network of trust, etc.). If those conditions hold and the shock leads to public politics,
inequality, and trust networks acting in the above stated directions then democratization will occur, but without the shock those mechanisms are
used to block democratization.
Selected key terms:
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Protected Consultation – ‘standardized measure’ of breadth (proportion of all persons under the government’s jurisdiction that belong to
polity members), equality (similarity of access to agents and resources—for the polity members), consultation (degree of collective
control of the polity members over agents, resources, and activities), and protection (shielding of polity from arbitrary action of agents).
Pp. 193-194
Democritization - any net shift toward citizenship, breadth of citizenship, equality of citizenship, binding consultation, and protection
(e.g. any net positive shift toward protected consultation). P. 194
Governmental Capacity – extent of agents’ control over changes in the condition of persons, activities, and resources within the territory
of governmental jurisdiction. P. 194
Public Politics – size and equality levels of the citizenry/network of relations among political actors collectively controlling government.
P. 198
Categorical Inequality – “when relations across the boundary in question regularly produce greater advantages or fewer disadvantages
for the parties on one side” (199). Four main types: [1] exploitation (owners vs. non-owners), [2] opportunity hoarding (insiders vs.
outsiders), [3] emulation, and [4] adaptation. [1] and [2] reinforce one another and democracy is a special case of them. [3] and [4] serve
to lock in the categorical inequality and help sustain [1] and [2]. P. 200
Networks of Trust – networks that help distribute and mitigate risk (primarily long-term risks at the governmental level). Pp. 201-202
Helpful visual aids exist on pp. 191, 192, 195, 197. My diagram tries to illustrate the different shocks that can cause democratization if the
conditions hold.
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Stories, Identities, and Political Change
(Processes and Mechanisms of Democratization)
Charles Tilly
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Mike Oren