Juan Linz: Selected Summaries: SELECTED SUMMARIES

By MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU

We have summarized the essentials of the following texts: "The bankruptcy of democracies", "Political parties in contemporary democracies" and "Transitions to democracy".

• Language: English
• Publisher: BOOKS AND SUMMARIES BY MAURICIO FAU
• Release date: Oct 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201317195

MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU

Mauricio Enrique Fau nació en Buenos Aires en 1965. Se recibió de Licenciado en Ciencia Política en la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Cursó también Derecho en la UBA y Periodismo en la Universidad de Morón. Realizó estudios en FLACSO Argentina. Docente de la UBA y AUTOR DE MÁS DE 3.000 RESÚMENES de Psicología, Sociología, Ciencia Política, Antropología, Derecho, Historia, Epistemología, Lógica, Filosofía, Economía, Semiología, Educación y demás disciplinas de las Ciencias Sociales. Desde 2005 dirige La Bisagra Editorial, especializada en técnicas de estudio y materiales que facilitan la transición desde la escuela secundaria a la universidad. Por intermedio de La Bisagra publicó 38 libros. Participa en diversas ferias del libro, entre ellas la Feria Internacional del Libro de Buenos Aires y la FIL Guadalajara.

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Juan Linz: Selected Summaries

SELECTED SUMMARIES

MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU

Published by BOOKS AND SUMMARIES BY MAURICIO FAU, 2021.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

JUAN LINZ: SELECTED SUMMARIES

First edition. October 26, 2021.

Copyright © 2021 MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU.

ISBN: 979-8201317195

Written by MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Juan Linz: Selected Summaries

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Further Reading: Alain Rouquié: Selected Summaries

Also By MAURICIO ENRIQUE FAU

About the Author

About the Publisher

SUMMARY OF TEXTS BY JUAN LINZ

INTRODUCTION

We propose to take a tour of some selected texts by the Spanish political scientist Juan Linz.

We will analyze some of the key texts of this author, namely:

• The failure of the democracies

• Political parties in contemporary democracies

• Transitions to democracy

THE FAILURE OF THE DEMOCRACIES

Legitimacy, efficiency, effectiveness and bankruptcy of a democracy

The author's analysis refers to a government that has come to power through democratic procedures, free elections, and based on this, demands obedience from the citizens. This obedience can occur for various reasons. In general, and according to what Weber told us, most of the people obey out of habit and this is also mixed with the calculation of the gains that could be obtained if that government assumes power. This, in general, because in crisis situations these considerations are not enough. Another factor needs to be added: belief in legitimacy. It has been said that the most effective way to uphold the law is not the police or the army but for the citizen to accept the laws even if he does not agree with them.

If you believe in legitimacy it means that there are a substantial number of citizens who believe in the laws. Among these citizens are not included all but a large majority, even this majority must include the opposition, the opposition must consider the ruler legitimate, this is what is called loyal opposition.

In other words, legitimacy is the belief that existing political institutions despite the flaws and limitations they may have are better than any other that could be established and that for that reason they have the right to demand obedience. The citizens who support this belief will choose to follow the orders of those who exercise authority when in doubt. It has also been said that in democracy citizens are free to disagree with the law but not to disobey it.

In democracy, government is obtained without using force, that is, it is obtained by legitimate means. Those who govern know that in the face of the censorship of the citizens, in the face of the fact that they demand the government from him through legitimate means, he will have to leave the government. For example, the case of Collor de Melo in Brazil. The government should have been abandoned because we are within the rules of the game, there is a mechanism called impeachment, through which the representatives of the citizens demand that it leave the government.

Now let us add that in the case of democracy it is not enough that the majority of citizens consider the ruler legitimate, it is also essential that the armed forces provide their support. Although the armed forces are not likely to undertake a coup against the ruler other than when they feel that an important sector of the citizenry agrees with them. In addition, it has to feel that another sector, even if it does not agree with it, remains indifferent to the coup.

It is very interesting to note that in democracies it is very easy for the amount of support granted to the ruler to fluctuate. In other words, sometimes they are given more and sometimes they are given less support. The support that the ruler receives is directly related to the legitimacy that he enjoys. The fact that if a ruler loses support, it is very easy for him to lose legitimacy as something quite important, and vice versa, if a ruler enjoys great support, his legitimacy has been reinforced.

In this fact of elaborating and transmitting legitimacy, intellectuals have great importance, a subject that we have already commented on when speaking of Gramsci and when speaking of Marx.

Weber said that there are three types of legitimacy: charismatic, traditional and bureaucratic-legal legitimacy. He also pointed out