When comparing emerging democracies around the world, what factors help to account for stability and instability?Using the nations of Russia,...

I think that the question is fairly wide open. I am going
to take a classically French political theorist position on why democracies are
different in terms of their stability throughout the world.  There is not one reason for
it.  A variety of conditions and circumstances have to be integrated into understanding
how the organic progression of democracy is evident throughout the world.  In terms of
the list featured, I woud not focus on China as I don't think one gets far in evaluating
it as a democracy.  Little presents itself as a
democracy.

One distinct element that binds all of these
nations in terms of their ability to foster democratic rule is the presence of economic
stability.  Nations like Russia are enduring difficult times economically, which makes
the ability for democracy to flourish quite difficult.  The needs to substantiate a
vital democracy such as civic activism, transparency in government, and a sense of
republicanism in making decisions are threatened in areas where economic challenge are
so vitally evident.  Russia being a nation enduring a great deal of economic challenge
make democratic rule difficult to facilitate and development.  In a nation such as South
African, where there is so much of a disparity between the haves and the have nots,
democratic self rule is similarly difficult.  In this configuration, the reality becomes
that there seems to be two different nations evident, and seeking to articulate one
vision of democracy that speaks to both is difficult.

This
leaves the other four nations.  The common links in all of them is that a constitutional
democracy is buttressed by a stable economic platform where some level of equality of
opportunity is evident for all.  This helps to make the aims of democracy that can be
realized for all citizens.  Certainly, there are some areas in all of these nations that
can undermine the effectiveness for democratic self rule.  The presence of an underclass
in all of these nations, individuals who are estranged from the economic and political
process helps to negate the abilty of a democracy to
flourish.

In the end, I think that economic stability of a
nation and its abilty to foster and nurture its democracy go very well together.  It
seems that the promises and possibilities of democratic self rule matches well with the
ability to live these ideals out with economic prosperity.  A strong link between
economics and democratic self- rule does exist.