An analysis of regime transition: the characteristics, mechanism and types of change in modern political systems

• Main Author: Weidie, Scott A.
• Other Authors: Tollefson, Scott D.
• Language: en_US
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2014
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/39854

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. === This thesis is an analysis of regime transition in modern political systems. These transitions can occur gradually or dramatically and may lead to changes in the changes in basic characteristics are significant enough to affect the type of government. This thesis analyzes the basic characteristics of political systems and develops a model for explaining regime transition. The thesis specifically examines changes in the power relationship between elite and mass participation in civil society, political society and the state, leading to the following processes: liberalization, regression, revolution and coups d'etat. These processes can result in previous of democratic regimes to non- democracies and vice versa. The model developed in this thesis addresses a basic definitional problem that exists in previous analyses and it simplifies the systematic cross-national analysis of regime types and ons. Finally, the thesis applies the model to the cases of Argentine (1976 and 1983), Germany (1919-1934) , and Guatemala (1993). The case study analysis advances the hypothesis that the mechanism of regime transition is the same in all political systems even though the types of transition are different.