ABSTRACT
As earlier chapters in this volume have shown, although there is continuing intense academic interest in the question of democratization, the assumptions surrounding this topic are perceptibly changing. While the emphasis has shifted from democratic transition (‘transitology’) to ‘consolidology’, there is also growing recognition not only of the limits of democratic achievement in many countries but also of backsliding into authoritarianism. One feature of this analysis that has been remarkably constant, however, is the belief that political parties have a crucial part to play in political outcomes where democracy is concerned.
