Pakistan's Democracy

Comparison Essay # 24034

History > Asian
History > Middle Eastern
Political Science > Non-U.S.

A comparative politics paper on the democracy in Pakistan.

1,481 words () | 9 sources | MLA | 2002 | United States

Published on: Apr 15, 2003

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the principles behind a democratic verses an authoritarian regime and takes as an example, the democratic regime in Pakistan since its independence from India in 1947. It examines how the struggle to establish a sustained democracy has been hampered by interethnic strife, fragmented elites, praetorian rule and regional and global influences. It evaluates the influence of Islam, the main religion of the country and the problems of coexistence between secularists and Islamists.

From the Paper:

"Part of the problem with preserving a peaceful democratic regime in Pakistan is sustainability. Four times since 1988 the parliament has been dissolved by presidents who were not popularly elected. The leaders of Pakistan, military and civilian, have had to rely on the military to safeguard their authority. As a result of this, the same leaders often call upon Islam "in order to maintain their legitimacy and to uphold different political, economic, and class interests." These actions have had a retroactive effect to their intentions; dividing rather than unifying."