International Programs

Hungary, having just weathered the transition from a communist to a democratic political system, presents a timely setting for looking at the relationship between a people's political culture and the success among them of democratic governance. The intent of this thesis is to examine whether Hungary's culture is conducive to or obstructive of a democratic system. I observed everyday patterns of behavior and interaction among Hungarians over a four month period during my semester abroad in Szeged, Hungary. Before assessing these everyday actions, I had to define exactly what I thought political culture entails and what elements within it relate to democratic political culture.
A brief overview of Hungary's history reveals both democratic and antidemocratic practices during the hundreds of years the Magyars have inhabited the Carpathian Basin. After the tumultuous events of 1989- 199 1, this small nation of ten million had the smoothest transition from communism to democracy among the Eastern Bloc countries, which, in itself, may point to the existence of "habits of the heart" such as mutual respect and a propensity to compromise that are crucial features of a democratic political culture. My observations of contemporary Hungarian society showed substantial levels of tolerance, patience, willingness to express opinion, and general respect for law and legitimate authority. Further research is needed to gain a firmer understanding of just how supportive of democracy Magyar culture is, but I concluded that it certainly does not counter the requirements for a functioning democratic society.