Colonial Legacy, Neoliberal Policies and Democratic Collapse - A Case Study Based on Venezuela

Abstract

Why do some countries fail to avoid democratic collapse even after the establishment of a democratic system? This paper aims to explain why emerging democracies suffer democratic collapse, using Venezuela as a typical case, and tries to construct a colonial legacy-neoliberal policy analytical framework, hypothesizing that the colonial legacy and the neoliberal policies adopted by the ruling party will have an impact on democratic collapse. It is found that the political, social, and cultural heritage inherited from the colonial period affects a country's informal system and political culture, which in turn increases the probability of democratic collapse. Neoliberal policies adopted by a country's ruling party can exacerbate economic inequality and social divisions, which in turn may cause democratic collapse. This paper bridges the gap between the existing explanations of democratic collapse and, on the basis of the existing structural explanations, focuses on the impact of informal institutions on democratic collapse, suggesting that factors such as patronage and hierarchy in informal institutions may increase the risk of democratic collapse. In terms of actor factors, focusing on political parties and policies rather than elite individuals, it is suggested that the adoption of neoliberal policies by the ruling party in emerging democracies increases the probability of democratic collapse.