PS 11/Week 10: The Demise of
I. General background:
A. A puzzle for modernization theory
B.
Challenges of early
1. Economic problems
a. Treaty of Versailles/high reparation payments
b. Hyper-inflation
2. Social/Cultural challenges
a. Democratic norms not fully entrenched
b. Extreme polarization between the right and left
3. Institutional instability:
a. Executive/Legislative relations
- Neither presidential or parliamentary, awkward combination
- President, Reichstag both popularly elected
- President appoints cabinet, drawn from Reichstag, headed by PM (Chancellor)
- President and Reichstag can dissolve cabinet
- President can dissolve Reichstag
- System leads to chronic and intense conflict between branches
b. Strong PR => highly fractionalized party system
- Difficulty forming stable coalitions in Reichstag =>
cabinet instability
- Small parties held whole system hostage
- Polarization in population translated into party system
4. Rebellions and violence, eg. Beer Hall Putsch
C. Weimar stabilizes: 1925-1929
1. Economy improving
2. Political tensions eased
3. But, persistent institutional instability
D. Economic crisis: 1929 Stock Market Crash/Great Depression
1. Staggering unemployment
2. Middle class anxieties
3. The rise of the Nazis
- 1928: 2%
- 1930: 18%
- 1932: 37%
4. Reichstag more or less ceases to function
5. Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany in January 1933
II. The picture from Northeim: Factors leading to Hitler’s rise
A. Class conflict
B. Lukewarm feelings about democracy
C. Nazis’ image and organization
1. Anti-SPD (Social Democratic Party)
2. Grass-roots organization
D. Great Depression exacerbates existing tensions
E. NOT lack of social capital/civic culture!!
1. Rich associational life in Nordheim
2. Highly participatory community
III. Conclusion
A. On social capital/Putnam
1. Social capital is not sufficient to prevent the collapse of democracy
2. Social capital may even facilitate the rise of authoritarianism
3. Not just the level, but whether or not it bridges major social cleavages.
B. Other
culture: absence/frailty of liberal norms and values in
C. Political factors: leadership, weakness of institutions
D. Economic factors: modernization theory, no; economic crisis, yes.
Terms
Treaty of
National and Socialist German Worker’s Party (Nazis)
Adolf Hitler
Reichstag
Paul von Hindenburg
Nordheim
Social Democratic Party (SPD)
Great Depression
Bridging social capital