Date of Award
2015
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Hicks, Barbara
Keywords
Turkey, Analysis, Government Institutions, Democracy, Politics
Area of Concentration
Political Science
Abstract
Turkey is in its 65th year as a democracy and has yet to finish consolidating democratic rule. Many cite the military’s heavy influence in politics as the reason for the regime’s democratic deficit and feel that the military’s recent divestment of the military of its political power will allow Turkey to pursue a more democratic path. However, the current government’s actions indicate a continuation of Turkey’s illiberal trajectory. This study is a historical institutional analysis that uses process-tracing and path dependence to explain how the design of Turkey’s institutions at the creation of the republic has hampered its ability to consolidate its democracy and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. In particular, this study analyzes how decisions made at the founding of the republic regarding the military and the political party system set these two institutions up as roadblocks to democracy in Turkey.
Recommended Citation
Oldham, Sarah, "Roadblocks to Democratic Consolidation in Turkey: Military Tutelage and Party Politics" (2015). Theses & ETDs. 6467.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/6467