Political decay

Political decay is a political theory, originally described by Samuel P. Huntington, which describes how chaos and disorder can arise from social modernization increasing more rapidly than political and institutional modernization. Huntington provides different definitions for political development and describes the form of political decay according to the various definitions. Huntington focuses primarily on political development as modernization and institutionalization. Although he points to the different definitions of political development as being arbitrary ways to understanding the rise of political systems and the relationship between the political systems in different nations.

Political development

Huntington identifies two characteristics of political development. The first is that development is synonymous with modernization, thus political development can be defined as political modernization. The second is that there are many criteria to measure political development because modernization and development are such broad topics, covering many areas. There are four generally agreed upon criteria to determine political development. The first is rationalization, which involves the movement from particularism to universalism, or, from a political standpoint, a focus on functional differentiation and achievement criteria. The second criteria is nationalism, and national integration. This emphasizes nation-states and nation-building as a key aspect of political development. The third criteria is a focus on democratization, which is in essence a focus on competition and equalization of power. The final criteria is mobilization, which is a focus on political participation. The greater the development, the greater the modernization, the greater the mobilization, and therefore the greater the political participation. Ultimately, political development can be defined as an increase in national political unity and an increase in political participation.

Modernization

According to Huntington's definition of political development as modernization, political decay is the opposite of the linear idea of social progress. Although, within the model of modernization, social regression is not possible. Instead, political decay takes place because "modern and modernizing states can change by losing capabilities as well as by gaining them. In addition, a gain in any one capability usually involves costs in others." The model of modernization was used compare the political systems of different countries with social development reflecting the linear progression of political institutions.

Institutional

Under the framework of political development as institutional development, political decay occurs when institutions fail to change or adapt when they become unnecessary due to social or economic changes. Dan Halvorson challenges the idea of political decay as an institutional failure by claiming that the idea of political decay is tied to a Western ideal of political institution without taking into account widely varying cultural institutions and the inability of post-colonial states failing to adapt to Western ideals. Fukuyama refers to political decay as the social and economic forces that upset the equilibrium of established political order.

Instability

Different social and economic factors contribute to both the political development as well as the political decay of nations. Outside forces such as foreign governments effect the stability of established governments due to contrasting social institutions or economic interests. In order to be considered stable government procedures and institutions must maintain autonomy and be resistant to outside agents. The social and economic forces that established political stability could change or disappear leading to internal instability. Economic development, such as shifts from agriculture based economy to manufacturing based economy, as well as economic collapse can also lead to political instability. Social developments, such as the proliferation of literacy, lead to the rise and spread of new ideas.

Updated by Fukuyama

Huntington's former student, Francis Fukuyama, and Sukhir singh Badal has developed the theory of political decay by analysing the sclerosis of democratic institutions in the United States and elsewhere. The second of Fukuyama's two volumes on political order, Political Order and Political Decay (2014), echoes the title of Huntington's seminal 1965 essay. Fukuyama focuses on concept of political decay by focusing on the rise and fall of Chinese dynasties.