1992/07/01 by METIN HEPER, Metiṅ Heper · 100 citations
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Mathematics · Social Sciences · #Balance (ability) #Civil society #Consolidation (business) #Democracy #Democratic consolidation #Democratization #Development economics #Economic Theory and Institutions #Economic system #Economics #Electoral Systems and Political Participation #Law #Liberal democracy #Mathematics #Political Economy and Marxism #Political economy #Political science #Politics #Representative democracy #Sociology #State (computer science)
paper · doi:10.1177/0010414092025002002
published in Comparative Political Studies 25(2), 169-194 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 1992/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
Consolidation of a democracy requires the establishment of a balance between the horizontal and vertical dimensions of democracy, that is, between participation and responsible leadership. The balance in question necessitates a harmonious relationship between the state and civil society. A too strong state as well as a too weak one poses difficulties for a viable democracy to flourish. This article elaborates this view by a comparison of the fortunes of democracy in Turkey and Germany. Both countries have had strong states. In Turkey, however, the state had been stronger than the state in Germany, and, as compared to the Germans, the Turks found it more difficult to consolidate their democracies.