Democratisation

​Democratisation is the process of making a system more democratic. It includes the abolishment of autocratic regimes, the institution, and the consolidation of democratic institutions. Usually, modern democracy is seen as comprising various elements, including constitutional guarantees for equal rights to vote, the liberty of opinion and free media, equality of citizens before the law, and the separation of powers or checks and balances between the executive, the legislative and the judicative. While for a long time mainly free and fair elections and peaceful regime changes were taken as an indicator for the level of democratic consolidation today inclusiveness of political institutions and the decision-making is taken as a further indicator. In any case, democratisation refers to the relationship between the State and the citizens, where civil society actors play a role in shaping and defending group interests in the process of political decision-making as well as holding State authorities accountable for their actions.
Some see a strong link between decentralisation and democratisation. Decentralisation or other forms of non-centralised governance are the pre-requisite for establishing a vibrant local democracy. Decentralisation can provide a way to foster bottom-up, multi-level democratisation.