International Democratization. This project is targeted at the international process of democratization. The general objective is to determine what structural conditions could account for the differences between countries and regions over time. To that end, a data base covering 191 countries over the period 1972-2004 has been established. It comprises information about different forms of government. These data are supplemented by a broad array of possible explanatory variables. The work is pursued in collaboration with Associate Professor Jan Teorell, Lund. Elin Bjarnegård, doctoral student, Uppsala, and Mia Olsson, doctoral student, Lund, are attached to the project.

State Capacity.  The prime focus of this project is to explore the development of state administrative capacity, looking at global tendencies over time. One current study concerns the effect of democratization on administrative capacity—and how this relationship (which is J-shaped) could be understood. This study is executed in collaboration with Assistant Professor Hanna Bäck, University of Mannheim.

American Eceptionalism - and its Roots. This study deals with two traits which signify US democracy in particular, namely power division and populism. The question, first of all, is why these traits have been developed in the US, and, secondly, to what extent similar tendencies could be seen in other parts of the world.

BOOKS (selection)

Decentralization and Local Governance. Experiences from India, Bolivia and South Africa (editor), EGDI, Stockholm 2003

Demokrati. En jämförande analys (Democracy. A Comparative Analysis), Liber, Malmö 2001, 2005 and 2009 (3rd edition)

Institutions and Democratic Citizenship. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2001

Democracy’s Victory and Crisis. Nobel Symposium No.93 (editor) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1997

Democracy and Development, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1992 and 2008 (5th edition)

ARTICLES  (selection)

“Elections as Levers of Democracy: A Global Inquiry”, in Lindberg, S., ed. Democratization by Elections: A New Mode of Transition. Baltimore: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press, 2009 (with Teorell, J.)

"Democracy and State Capacity. Exploring a J-shaped Relationship", Governance, 2008:1 (with Bäck, H.)

“Pathways from Authoritarianism”, Journal of Democracy, 2007:1 (with Teorell, J.)

“Determinants of Democratization: Taking Stock of the Large-N Evidence” (with Teorell, J.), Berg-Schlosser D. (ed) Democratization. The State of the Art, Barbera Budrich Publishing House, 2007

 “Success and Failures of the New Democracies” (with Berg-Schlosser, D.), Berg-Schlosser D. (ed) Democratization. The State of the Art, Barbera Budrich Publishing House, 2007

"Democracy without Democratic Values. A Rejoinder to Welzel and Inglehart", Studies in Comparative International Development, 2006: 3 (with Teorell, J)

"Internationell demokratisering. Utvecklingstendenser och förklarande faktorer" (International Democratization. Development and Explanatory Factors) Statsvetenskaplig Tidskrift 2006: 3

“Party Development in Russia”, Graham, N. and Lindhal, F. (eds.) The Political Economy of Transition in Eurasia, Michigan State University Press, 2006

“Consolidation in New Democracies: Theories and Evidence”, Eliaeson, S. (ed.): Building Democracy and Civil Society East of Elbe, Routledge 2005

“Assessing Alternative Indeces of Democracy”, C&M Working Papers, IPSA/APSA, 2005 (with Teorell, J.)

"Cultural and Economic Prerequisites of Democracy: Reassessing Recent Evidence", Studies in Comparative International Development, 2005: 1 (with Teorell, J.)

"Islam och demokrati - finns det ett negativt samband?" (Islam and Democracy - Is there a Negative Relationship?), Internationella Studier, 2004: 1

“Democracy and Social Capital. Societal and Institutional Conditions”, Prakash, S. and Selle, P.  (eds.) Investigating Social Capital, Sage 2004

“The Development of Political Parties. Russia in a Comparative Perspective”, Studies in Public Policy, 2002: #365 

“Transitions to Democracy. Pros and Cons of the Rustow-Lijphart Elite Approach”, Hydén G. and Elgström, O. (eds.) Democracy and Development: Theoretical Gains and Challenges, Routledge 2002

 “The Paradox of Integration in Intra-State Conflicts” (with Karvonen, L.), Journal of Teoretical Politics, 2001:1 

“Medborgarskap, social kontext och institutioner. Perspektiv på svensk demokrati” (Citizenship, Social Context and Institutions. Swedish Democracy in Perspective) Amnå, E. (ed.):  Civilsamhället. SOU 1999:84

”Shaping Civil Society” (with Uggla, F.), Bernard, A., Helmich, H. & Lehning, P. (eds): Civil Society and International Development, OECD 1998

”Utveckling och demokrati” (Development and Democracy), Midgaard, K. & Rasch, B.E. (eds): Demokrati: Vilkår og virkninger, Fagbokforlaget 1997

”Making Civil Society Work. Promoting Democratic Development: What Can States and Donors Do? (with Uggla, F.), World Development 1996 (Oct.)

”Assessing Democratic Progress in Africa”, Nagel, S., Crotty, W. & Scarritt, J. (eds): Policy Studies and Developing Nations, Jai Press 1996

”The Duration of Democracy: Institutional vs Socio-economic Factors”, Beetham, D. (ed.): Defining and Measuring Democracy, Sage 1994

”From One-party Rule to Multipartism in Africa”, Nagel, S. (ed.): Africa, Development and Public Policy, Macmillan 1994

ENCYCLOPEDIA ENTRIES

“Indices of Democracy”, Darity. W (ed.). International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, Macmillan 2006

 “Democratic Development”, Foweraker, J. and Clarke, B. (eds.): Encyclopedia of Democratic  Thought, Routledge 2001

“Correlates of Democracy”, Foweraker, J. and Clarke, B. (eds.): Encyclopedia of Democratic Thought, Routledge 2001

RECENT CONFERENCES (selection)

Democratization by Election?, University of Florida and Endowment for Democracy, November 30 – December 2, 2007. Paper: “Elections as Levers of Democracy. A Global Study” (with Teorell, J.)

Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,  Philadelphia,  August 30 - September 3, 2006, “Does Type of Authoritarianism Affect the Prospects for Democracy? Exogenous Shocks and Contingent Democratization” (with Teorell, J.)

Governance. University of Gothenburg, November 18-20, 2005. Paper: “Democracy and Governance” (with Bäck, H.).

 Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,Washington, D.C., 2005. Paper: “Learning More about Democratization. Authoritarian Regimes 1972-2003” (wth Teorell, J.)

Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association, Chicago, September 2-5, 2004. Papers: (1) “Same, Same - But Different. Assessing Alternative Indeces of Democracy”,  (2) “Global and Regional Determinants of Democracy. Taking Stock of  the Large-N Evidence” (with Teorell, J.).

Rethinking Modernity: Globalization, Modernization and Islam. MGIMO-University, Moscow, October 23-25, 2003. Paper: "Islam and Democracy"

Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association,  Philadelphia, September 28-31, 2003. Paper: "Takes Two to Tango: Decentralization and Democratic Governance in Three Developing Countries"

Diagnosing Democracy: Methods of Analysis, Findings and Remedies”, National University, Santiago, Chile, April 11-13, 2003. Paper: "Prerequisites of Democracy: Economic Development and Political Culture" (with Teorell, J.)

Rethinking Modernity. Moscow State University and MGIMO-University, October 25-28, 2002. Keynote speaker: "Prospects of Evolution of the State in the Modern World"

Edmund Mokrzycki Symposium, CEU/Center for Social Studies, Warsaw,  27-28 September 2002. Paper: "Consolidation in New Democracies"