Transitology is Over, Shall We Forget It? ’Collateral’ Theories and Lessons of Transition Cover Image

A tranzitológiának vége, felejtsük el? Az átmenet tervezett intézményeitől a tervezetlen hibridizációig
Transitology is Over, Shall We Forget It? ’Collateral’ Theories and Lessons of Transition

Author(s): Ervin Csizmadia
Subject(s): Political Theory, Methodology and research technology
Published by: MTA Politikai Tudományi Intézete
Keywords: Transitology; Consolidation; Institutions; competivite autoritarianism; illiberal democracy

Summary/Abstract: The essay focuses on answering the question of what happened to transitology, the main narrative of the 1989–90 process of democratization, after it prevailed. The theory lasted for just one decade and already at the beginning of the millennium Thomas Carothers declared the end of transitology. However, many things happened between its birth and demise. This essay aims to map this intermediate phase, as well as to present two experiments for the theoretical adaptation of transitology: the theories concerning the foundation and consolidation of institutions, and those concerning the creation of hybrid and illiberal regimes. The analysis would like to call attention to the fact that the theories of the period of transition were far from identical, they went through serious changes during the 90s. These changes however came about not outside of the trend, but within, therefore the approach of the founding theory pervades these pieces of writing. In some places the essay refers to criticisms incurred by transition theories, nevertheless, these are external critiques of transitology, therefore the essay only speaks of these tangentially. The author comes to the conclusion that though transitology has run out of wind, the theoretical and attitudinal lessons of it remain largely unprocessed to this day.

  • Issue Year: XXV/2016
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 135-153
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: Hungarian