Nationalism and Regional Relations in Democratic Transitions: Comparing Nepal and Bhutan

Democracy is facing crisis as its values including political rights and civil liberties are declining around the world. If democracy is to prevail, the reasons for the decline need to be addressed. To this end, the research question is: how nationalism and regional influences affect the political transitions of Bhutan and Nepal. The research question is answered by analyzing leadership stability, ethnicity and the caste system, as well as the roles of regional giants India and China in Bhutan\u27s and Nepal\u27s political transitions. The findings show that the contested conceptions of nationalism in Nepal and strong internal nationalism in Bhutan explain much of the varying nature of the transitions. In addition, regional influence, especially the significant role exerted by India in both cases, help explain the differences in the political transitions of Bhutan and Nepal