Third Wave Of Democracy Essay

The “Third Wave” of democracy began in the 1970s when Spain and Portugal suddenly switched from autocracies to a democracies. In the following years, several countries around the world adopted democratic governments. During the “Third Wave”, there were four main reasons for a country to change to a democracy , and scholars learned a lot about the transition from autocracy to democracy. One of the main a reasons a country would switch to a democratic form of government is because they were tired of the old regime. Eventually, dictators lose their power in a country and a new form of government is adopted. The second reason countries switch to a democracy is because they are pressured by other countries to do so, either for economic or political reasons. The third reason relates to the citizens’ strong desire for protection from arbitrary abuse. In autocracies, people can be punished for no concrete reason. The final reason countries change to a democracy is for economic development. There is a general belief that democracies are better off economically. However, this is not completely accurate. A country does not have to be a democracy …show more content…
A second reason people vote is because there is a close race. People are more interested in close races and feel their vote can actually be a deciding factor. No one who strongly believes a candidate will lose the election is going to vote for them. The third reason is people want to exercise their political power. Individuals enjoy being in charge, and an election gives them the power to make decisions about the people who govern them. There are other communal reasons people vote as well. If the family and friends of an individual vote, he or she is going to feel pressured to vote as well. Others simply because they feel it is their duty, or to prove their devotion to the