How State Weakness Affects Democratization?

How State Weakness Affects Democratization?

Hypothesis

HO: State Weakness affects Democratization

HA: State Weakness does not affect Democratization

Independent Variable: State Weakness

Dependent Variable: Liberal Democracy

Analysis of the Hypothesis

How State Weakness Affects Democratization at Nepal?

Until the late 20th century, Nepal was predominantly an agricultural society, with more than 90 percent of Nepalese residing in rural areas and relying on agriculture as their primary source of income. Religion has played a significant role in the formation of Nepalese society. As well as being the geographical meeting point for Indian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions, Hinduism has a strong presence in Nepalese culture. While there is no official state religion in Nepal, over 80 percent of the populations proclaim to be Hindu. Nepal's monarchy had a significant impact on the social structure of Nepalese society. After establishing independence in 1768, the Kingdom of Nepal was established when Prithvi Narayan Shah, the king of a small principality of Gurkha, successfully annexed several other eastern and western states, thereafter unifying Nepal. Since reaching independence, Nepal has retained sovereignty and remained ruled by the Shah dynasty, avoiding the threats of colonialism.

Revealing the country's strong Vedic heritage, Nepal was officially a Hindu kingdom until pronounced a secular republic in 2006, with the king revered by the Nepalese as an incarnation of Hindu god Vishnu. The monarchy was both symbolically and literally regarded as a symbol of national unity that fused the nation, sustaining peace, amity, and cooperation under a common constitution. The monarchy's ability to transcend partisan politics helped to achieve a single national community free from sectarian violence and civil conflicts. As a corollary of the king's public favor, social relations were relatively stable in Nepal until 2001, when the Nepalese royal family was massacred by Crown Prince Dependra, shortly after which the monarchy was abolished and replaced by the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.

The concept of democratic consolidation is complex, problematic, and to some extent contradictory. This makes it all the more important to clarify and circumscribe the meaning of the term. It has been suggested by some scholars that the concept be limited to its original significance, that is, the survival of democracy to avoid the risk of an authoritarian regression. A recent series of political conflicts has had a negative impact on the prosperity and welfare of Nepalese society. Unified for less than three centuries, Nepal became a constitutional monarchy in 1951, before slipping into a dictatorship eight years later. Demonstrations in the late 1980s against oppressive rule resulted in multiparty elections in May 1991. The transition to democracy has been tumultuous, with the country divided by corruption, ineffective bureaucracy, and increasing social stratification. Social relations have been further confounded by an insurgency led by Maoist rebels in 1996 that resulted in a 10-year civil war against the central government, over 12,000 deaths, and 100,000 people being displaced, according to United Nations figures. As a consequence of Nepal's post conflict situation, it is estimated that over 40 percent of the population live in ...