The term paper aims to explain the varying level of democracy in the two post-Soviet countries Estonia and Lithuania.
The topic is relevant due to the proximity of these countries to Russia, as well as the current trend of democratic backsliding across Central and Eastern Europe. The two particular cases were selected due to their overall similarity, as the paper pursues the most-similar system design.
The theoretical framework first conceptualizes democracy, the dependent variable of the study. It proceeds to introduce some factors which might theoretically be responsible for the differing level of democracy in Central and Eastern Europe in general.
The research design chapter describes the most-similar system design, introduces the index of democracy to be used in the empirical analysis, and lays out the steps of the empirical analysis.
The empirical analysis first delivers the scores of the democracy index for the two countries, before evaluating the possible effect of various factors. The analysis finds that the decisive factors are political and not economic.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Literature review
3. Theoretical approach
4. Methodology
5. Empirical Analysis
6. Discussion
7. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to identify and analyze the independent variables that have significantly influenced the democratic development of Estonia and Lithuania since their independence from the Soviet Union, providing a comparative perspective on their political systems and stability.
- Comparative analysis of democratic development in Estonia and Lithuania.
- Evaluation of political stability and government structures in the Baltic states.
- Impact of socioeconomic factors and European integration on post-Soviet democratization.
- Examination of "hollowing" and "backsliding" phenomena within CEE democracies.
- Assessment of the applicability of existing democratic indicators in a regional context.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
1990 the USSR as one of the largest state constructs of the 20th century disintegrated. As Russian influence decreased, and a part of the former Soviet states moved closer to Western policy - especially European Union and NATO – these countries paved their own way towards self-determined nations. Apart from their shared history, there were other similarities, but also vehement differences, which had various effects from country to country – and led to the current partly democratic states. From a Western European perspective, it is of course particularly interesting to analyse and compare the development of democracy in those countries that are now part of NATO and the European Union and to find out key variables in which they might differ.
Proven hypotheses like that „party governments in the region have been relatively unstable“ (Grotz 2012: 699), the fact that „the electoral volatility in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is still remarkably high“ (Engler 2016: 278) or also the recognizable „negative relationship between corruption and political trust“ (Engler 2016: 279) are good examples of the assumption that certain factors in these countries still require closer examination. Moreover, for a long time arguments were legitimate such as that “even in the cases where democratization had been on the agenda, rapid backsliding was expected“ (Greskovits 2015: 29), which points out the importance of still having a closer look on previous developments and indicators for upcoming changes in these countries. Accordingly, such a review is also extremely important for the prognosis of future developments.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the background of the post-Soviet transition in Central and Eastern Europe and defines the comparative research focus on Estonia and Lithuania.
2. Literature review: Provides an overview of existing scientific research, monographs, and datasets concerning democratic development in Baltic and CEE countries.
3. Theoretical approach: Discusses the theoretical framework, including the influence of European institutions and democratic indicators on the transition processes of the selected states.
4. Methodology: Explains the qualitative research design and the selection of Estonia and Lithuania as suitable cases for comparative analysis.
5. Empirical Analysis: Examines specific democratic indicators and systemic differences, such as electoral systems and government stability, between the two nations.
6. Discussion: Critically evaluates the findings, addressing the limitations of the qualitative approach and the nuances of the political developments observed.
7. Conclusion: Summarizes the key insights regarding the democratic progress of the two states and suggests future research directions.
Keywords
Estonia, Lithuania, Democracy, Post-Soviet, European Union, NATO, Political Stability, Democratization, Baltic States, Governance, CEE, Comparative Politics, Transition, Electoral Systems, Government Stability
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on comparing the democratic development of Estonia and Lithuania following their separation from the Soviet Union, analyzing why and how their political systems differ despite their similar historical and geographical backgrounds.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The work covers post-Soviet transition, democratic stability, the influence of European integration (EU and NATO), electoral volatility, and the impact of systemic government structures on state performance.
What is the central research question?
The primary research question asks: How do the democracies of Estonia and Lithuania differ from a comparative perspective?
Which scientific methodology is applied in this study?
The study utilizes a qualitative comparative method, drawing on existing scientific literature, democracy indices, and socioeconomic datasets to categorize and analyze the variables influencing democratic development.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body examines the historical context, evaluates democracy indices for both countries, discusses systemic differences like government structures (parliamentary vs. semi-presidential), and analyzes factors like ethnic composition and economic transition.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Key terms include Baltic States, Democracy, Democratization, Post-Soviet, Political Stability, European Union, and Comparative Politics.
How do Estonia and Lithuania differ in their government structure according to the author?
Estonia is characterized as a parliamentary system, whereas Lithuania operates under a parliamentary-presidential (semi-presidential) system, a distinction that forms part of the comparative analysis.
What role does the "Democracy Index" play in the empirical analysis?
The Democracy Index serves as a quantitative dependent variable, providing a measurable score that allows the author to assess and compare the state of democracy in both countries over time.
What is the author's conclusion regarding the democratic status of these two nations?
The author concludes that both states are generally stable democracies, though they continue to face challenges and show potential for further improvement in specific democratic indicators.
- Citar trabajo
- Felix Mentele (Autor), 2020, How differ the democracies of Estonia and Lithuania from a comparative perspective?, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1045058
