The Kellogg Institute is pleased to announce a major new publication by its director, Aníbal Pérez-Liñán, and former director Scott Mainwaring in the prestigious British Journal of Political Science. Their article, “Democratic Trajectories in the Third Wave: Aligning Theory and Methods,” offers a groundbreaking analysis of democratization processes since the 1970s, providing fresh insights into one of the most dynamic periods in global political development.
The study addresses a critical gap in the field: the need to better align theoretical frameworks with empirical methods when examining how democracies emerge, evolve, and sometimes falter. Drawing on decades of scholarship and new methodological innovations, the authors propose a refined approach to understanding the diverse paths countries have taken during the “Third Wave” of democratization.
“This work represents a significant step forward in the study of democracy,” said Pérez-Liñán. “By bringing theory and methods into closer dialogue, we can more accurately capture the complexity of political change across different regions and historical contexts.”
The article systematically examines the trajectories of dozens of countries that experienced democratic transitions from the 1970s onward. It highlights not only the successes but also the reversals and stagnations that have characterized the Third Wave, offering a nuanced perspective that challenges simplistic narratives of democratic progress.
Mainwaring emphasized the importance of methodological rigor: “Our goal was to move beyond broad generalizations and provide a toolkit for scholars to analyze democratic change with greater precision. We hope this work will inspire further research and inform policy debates worldwide.”
The publication underscores the Kellogg Institute’s commitment to advancing scholarship on democracy and human development. It also reflects the Institute’s longstanding leadership in the study of democratization, a field in which Kellogg scholars have made influential contributions for over four decades.
The full article is available online through the British Journal of Political Science:
Read the publication.
For more information about the Kellogg Institute’s research on democracy, visit the Democracy Initiatives page on their website.