Democracy and Authority in the Course of Political Development

The question of political development is a problem common to countries throughout the world. Even developed countries were originally traditional societies, and they, too, once had to face the problem of political development. Is there a common element in the political development once experienced by countries now developed and advanced and that which today's developing countries are experiencing? Are there common laws, or similar processes? Albeit that the majority of political scientists have not raised this question or even given it much consideration, I think this is a problem that not only should be raised, but also greatly needs to be clarified. This question involves some of the most basic questions about political development—that is, the question of what the necessary conditions are for the establishment of a modern democratic system, what kind of social foundation must it be built on? What stages does it need to go through, why does it need to go through these stages, and what are the differences and similarities between the Eastern and the Western political structures and political cultures?