Transitions from authoritarian rule : Conference : Papers. [Vol 1] ; Southern Europe ..., [Vol 4] ; Tentative conclusions about uncertain democracies

Political science scholars consider the four-volume work Transitions from Authoritarian Rule to be a foundational text for studying the process of democratization, specifically in those cases where an authoritarian regime is giving way to some form of democratic government. The most important of the four books is without a doubt the fourth volume, Tentative Conclusions about Uncertain Democracies, also known as "the little green book." Transitions from Authoritarian Rule was the first book in any language to systematically compare the process of transition from authoritarianism across a broad range of countries. Political democracy is not the only possible outcome. Guillermo O’Donnell, Philippe C. Schmitter, and Laurence Whitehead emphasize that it's not the revolution but the transition that is critical to the growth of a democratic state. This ground-breaking insight remains highly relevant as the ramifications of the Arab Spring continue to play out. Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Foreword......Page 8 Preface......Page 12 1. Introducing Uncertainty......Page 16 2. Defining Some Concepts (and Exposing Some Assumptions)......Page 19 3. Opening (and Undermining) Authoritarian Regimes......Page 28 4. Negotiating (and Renegotiating) Pacts......Page 50 5. Resurrecting Civil Society (and Restructuring Public Space)......Page 61 6. Convoking Elections (and Provoking Parties)......Page 70 7. Concluding (but Not Capitulating) with a Metaphor......Page 78 Index......Page 92 Foreword to the 1986 edition / Abraham E. Lowenthal -- Preface -- 1. Introducing Uncertainty -- 2. Defining Some Concepts (ans Exposing Some Assumptions) -- 3. Opening (and Undermining) Authoritarian Regimes -- 4. Negotiating (and Renegotiating) Pacts -- 5. Resurrecting Civil Society and Restructuring Public Space -- 6. Convoking Elections (and Provoking Parties) -- 6. Concluding (but Not Capitulating) with a Metaphor vii xi Introducing Uncertainty Defining Some Concepts (and Exposing Some Assumptions) Opening (and Undermining) Authoritarian Regimes Negotiating (and Renegotiating) Pacts Resurrecting Civil Society ( and Restructuring Public Space) Convoking Elections (and Provoking Parties) Concluding (but Not Capitulating) with a Metaphor 73 79 *Tentative Conclusions* is an attempt to summarize insights of research project "Transitions from Authoritarian Rule: Prospects for Democracy in Latin America and Southern Europe." It is often cited as "small green book" which had strong influence on democratization studies and "transitology" during the 1990s. The essays appearing in the collection Transitions from Authoritarian rule . . . will serve as reference points for students of redemocratization for years to come. Other essays will serve as classic case studies . . . the volumes deserve to be read time and again. - Comparative Politics Separately published vol. IV of the hardback edition Transitions from authoritarian rule: Prospects for Democracy, edited by Guillermo O'Donnell, Philippe C. Schmitter, and Laurence Whitehead, Blatimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1986