Economic and Cultural Determinants of Democratic Systems: The Relationship Between Culture and Political Institutions
Overview
This paper examines the relationship between culture and democracy, analyzing how cultural beliefs and values influence the adoption and effectiveness of political systems. It compares the theory of economic and cultural determinants of democracy with modernization theory, arguing that political institutions are suited differently to various cultures and that government policies in turn shape cultural identity.
What this essay covers
- Introduction to the relationship between democracy and culture with reference to Gorodnichenko and Roland
- Modernization theory and its explanation of societal transformation from traditional to westernized systems
- Analysis of how cultural beliefs determine political systems and governmental influence on culture
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Culture and Politics
The theory Economic and Cultural Determinants of a democratic system seeks to analyze the relationship between democracy and culture. According to Gorodnichenko and Roland, G. (7), the relation between democracy and culture has been a long-lasting subject of interest for years. More so, arguments that political institutions such as democracy are suited to some cultures and not others have existed for many years. Different cultures are usually suited to varying types of political setups, either democratic or dictatorship. On the other hand, the modernization theory states that societies keep transforming from being traditional and underdeveloped to adopt westernized social, economic, and political systems (Al-Kohlani, 48). The modernization theory seeks to analyze the social, political, and cultural impacts of economic growth in societies. In essence, the idea does not refer to the current or concepts; instead, the world's societal changes tend to occur.
Culture plays a significant role in the political concepts or activities of society. The political system adopted in a country or society is highly dependent on the cultural beliefs that are available. For example, it is usually easy for democracy to work in civilized cultures than uncivilized or uneducated populations. There are also societies with beliefs that monarchial political systems are better suited than democracy. The way people think and behave plays a vital role in determining the type of political scape used to rule. Governments also influence the culture and identity of a society.