What is the democratization process?

Democratization (or democratisation) is the transition to a more democratic political regime, including substantive political changes moving in a democratic direction. It may be the transition from an authoritarian regime to a full democracy, a transition from an authoritarian political system to a semi-democracy or transition from a semi-authoritarian political system to a democratic political system. (Wikepedia)

Thanks Wikipedia!

But I don’t really like this. It misses the important issues of HOW and WHAT. How do you move from authoritarian government to ‘democratic’ self-rule, and what does ‘democracy’ mean?

For most situations ‘democratization’ seems to involve little more than some sort of popular uprising involving protests, peaceful or violent, followed by a hasty election that replaces the unpopular regime with a somewhat more popular regime. Other than the election little changes.

If all you are doing is voting for your dictator I do not believe you live in a democracy. Democracy should involve self-rule.

Self-rule requires institutions that develop at the grass roots that give the people real authority in how they live their lives. Few countries have these grass roots institutions and even less have a population ready to take control of their government operations.