Potential Appendix to János Kornai’s ‘revisited system paradigm’

Csaba Fazekas

Keywords: system paradigm, political systems, characterization of political systems, autocracy, democracy

TL;DR: Appendix to Kornai's 'revisited system paradigm', new elements for characterization of different political systems. (4.)

Abstract:

János Kornai published an interesting and important paper in 1999 about the ‘system paradigm’, and another in 2016 about the ‘system paradigm revisited’. In the last one he made a theoretical approach for differences between democracies, autocracies and dictatorships; made a typology for the most important elements for characterization of different political systems.
In the second half of the 2010’s a debate has started among political analysists, public intellectuals and journalists, how we can characterize the new political system of Hungary led by Viktor Orbán. We can read detailed analyses about ‘hybrid regime’, ‘limited democracy’, ‘illiberal democracy’, ‘plebiscite leader democracy’ etc. In my presentation I should like to deal with the question of different political systems in general, and – on the experiences of the debates about the current Hungarian system – I should like to think forward Kornai’s model. Kornai pointed out ten elements for characterization (the questions of removable governments, opposition parties in parliaments, elections, civil society, freedom of press etc.) – I should like to differentiate ten new potential elements, especially form the side of the political ideas, historical backgrounds and other viewpoints.