Reformism vs. Populism in the Philippines
Mark R. Thompson
The Philippines' first automated elections in May 2010 were generally honest and orderly, surprising pessimistic Filipino and foreigner observers alike. "Noynoy" Aquino easily won the presidential race by focusing on his "reformist" credentials, a strategy that his mother (her death in August 2009 led him to launch his candidacy) had adopted against Marcos in 1986. Reformism involves direct media appeals and the claim "I will not steal from you." Two other leading presidential candidates took a more "populist" stance, which also relies more on the media than on clientelism but with the message "I will help you." Interestingly, Aquino's running mate was defeated in the (separate) vice-presidential race by a "populist" candidate, showing this narrative also remains strong. Regardless of whether government grows substantially cleaner under Aquino, most Filipinos will long remain impoverished. This may lead to a pattern of electoral cycling in which greater efficiency and greater equality alternate as the major promises in elections.
George Washington and the Founding of Democracy
Seymour Martin Lipset
Ten Years After the Soviet Breakup: From Democratization to Guided Democracy
Archie Brown
Except for the Baltic states, the countries of the former Soviet Union may be less democratic today than in the last years of the USSR.
Debating the Color Revolutions: A Reply to My Critics
Lucan Ahmad Way
The color revolutions illustrate both the prevalence of diffusion and the potential limits of its impact on political change.