Mongolian Democracy Compared to Central Asia Post-Independence

Abstract

Mongolia stands out in Inner Asia as being the only country to be classified as a democracy, surrounded by the authoritarian regimes of China and Russia. It is also unique in being the sole Asian country to have emerged out of the dissolution of the Soviet Union as a democracy, despite being integrated into the Soviet economy as much as other former Soviet republics. The experiences of newly formed Central Asian and Caucasian states (with the exception of Georgia) have been that they have either failed to democratize such as with Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan, or backslid from democracy such is the case with Kyrgyzstan. This anomalous democratization is a culmination of Mongolia’s unique historical experiences and economic conditions which influenced how it handled global processes affecting all former Soviet states at the same time, setting it apart from other Central Asian states, despite the surface-level similarities. Mongolia’s pre-existing national identity, experience with statehood, and anti- Chinese sentiments interacted with the economic conditions at the time of the collapse, forcing Mongolia to adopt economic reforms and seek international aid. Democratic norms were then built and strengthened in the country through both the need to reform and nationalistic sentiments among the political elites.
This stands in contrast to Central Asian states, which historically did not have experience with statehood, and therefore, were suddenly tasked with state and nation-building when the Soviet Union collapsed. While they too took on nationalist rhetoric to gain legitimacy, this worked to sediment the pre-existing authoritarian rule rather than democratize institutions. Their economic conditions enabled this authoritarian rule, allowing for the elites to delay economic reform which could potentially work to undermine their rule. But as more time has passed since their independence, different states have undertaken different paths to reform and democratization, differentiating their experiences as will be noted later.