A scholarly thesis about the perils and difficulties involved in
the transition from tyranny to participatory government. Snyder
(Political Science/Columbia) finds a correlation between a
collapsing central authority (followed by a quickly emerging but
immature democratization process) and the newly aroused ethnic
conflicts that have sprung up in recent years. He suggests policies
that would make such transitions safer, mainly by not rushing
democratic political structures into place before the logical
stages of progress have been achieved. Snyder also argues that a
controlled media in the early phases of democratization may create
national mythmaking, and that this may deter the development of
democratic institutions (as was the case in Germany before WWI and
WWII). He bases his theories upon the historical experiences of
Germany, revolutionary France, Serbia, India, postcolonial Africa,
and other nations with weak or nonexistent traditions of democratic
government. Some of these nations democratic traditions were too
weak to offset the powerful forces of ethnic nationalism that, once
unleashed, brought violent conflicts against real or perceived
enemies (as in Bosnia, Kosovo, Croatia, etc.). The refusal of
discredited ruling parties to accept electoral defeat, combined
with immoderate appeals to the old ethnic groups that were once
held in check by a strong central government, will inevitably
present a real and profound danger to peoples not used to
democracy. In contrast, Snyder argues, civic identity and civic
nationalization divided people the least after the fall of
communism (as in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine,
etc.). He believes that the preconditions of democracy must be in
place in order for it to develop sanelyand in order to avoid the
ethnic nationalism of hate and civil war that can be driven by
manipulating political leaders. Snyder presents logical theories
supported by historical studies that question the undue optimism of
a rush to an immature liberal democracy at the tragic cost of
bloody strife and loss of freedom. National leaders should take
notice. (Kirkus Reviews)
From Voting to Violence examines the ways in which democratization
can exacerbate nationalist fervor and ethnic conflict if the
conditions promoting a successful transition are not in place. The
book argues that international organizations sometimes cause more
conflict than they avert in their rush to establish democratic
governments and punish outgoing leaders. Snyder closes by
prescribing policies that can make democratic transitions less
dangerous and allow fledgling democracies to flourish.
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