Developing World
I have chosen to write about the Development and Democracy. I have choose this topic, because I have long believed that the rich countries are more likely than the poor countries to be democracies as pointed out by sociologist Seymour Martin Lipset. As I was researching, I found that the vast majority of LDC were under-developed because of the lack of economic develop. Wars, depressions, institutional changes, elite decisions, and specific leaders also influence what happen, but structural and cultural change are major factors in the emergence and survival of democracy. When I see the TV ads asking for money for ...view middle of the document...
I really got an eyeful when I was in the Navy, and we were in Egypt during the Desert Storm war. I saw families live in cardboard homes (something I use to play in when I was a kid). The strong correlation between development and democracy reflects the fact that economic development is conducive to democracy. The number one question is why exactly, development leads to democracy is still in question, but the answer is starting to come out. It does not result from some disembodied force that causes democratic institutions to emerge automatically when a country attains a certain level of GDP (GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT).
Today, it is more possible than ever before to measure what the key changes are and how far they have progressed in given countries. The desire for freedom and autonomy are
Universal aspirations. They may be subordinated to the need for subsistence and order when survival is precarious. The basic motivation for democracy—the human desire for free choice—starts to play an increasingly important role. People begin to place a growing emphasis on free choice in politics and begin to demand civil and political liberties and democratic institutions.
References
Annual Editions Developing World 11/12, Article 2(Development and Democracy)