In our lectures on democracy and non-democracy, we mentioned five explanations for why states may either transition to democracy or towards authoritarianism. Those explanations were modernization, elites, society, international relations, and culture. Which of these explanations do you think are the most decisive in determining whether a state transitions to democracy or towards authoritarianism? Choose three (3) of these explanations and argue why they are the most decisive, using supporting evidence and/or examples

You only need your textbooks to answer these questions. If you use outside sources, provide citations and a bibliography. If you only use your textbooks, no bibliography is needed, and citations will only be needed for direct quotes (just cite the author and page number).

The structure of your essay should be as follows:

• Introduction, 2-3 point body, and conclusion.
• 800-1000 words (so 2.5 to 4 pages, don’t go less than 800, but don’t go more than 1000).
• 12-point Times New Roman font.
• Double-spaced.
• At the top, put your name and the question (do not include my name, the class, the date).