Survival of an imperfect democracy in the Philippines

Abstract

Despite the mythology surrounding the 1986 ‘people power revolution’ in the Philippines, the political system remains a deeply flawed and fragile democracy. This study employs institutional analysis and a critical adaptation of concepts of social capital and political legitimacy to explain both the weaknesses of democracy and its survival. An historical analysis of the evolution of the political system demonstrates that a mismatch between the formal institutions of democracy introduced under US colonial rule and entrenched informal institutions of patronage politics has prevented democratic deepening and the construction of civic‐minded social capital. The concentration of power and wealth in relatively few hands and the persistence of local ‘boss rule’ have subjected democratic forms of governance to repeated crises of legitimacy. Nevertheless, 13 years of predatory authoritarian rule under Ferdinand Marcos and the collapse of the communist movement have discredited non‐democratic alternatives. The restoration of formal democratic institutions has created the possibility for social and political actors to challenge clan and populist politics and engage in the kind of programmatic politics that could make democracy more meaningful in the future.