Rethinking Democratization in the Philippines: Elections, Political Families, and Parties 43 CHAPTER TWO Rethinking Democratization in the Philippines: Elections, Political Families, and Parties* Temario C. Rivera The transition from the authoritarian rule of the Marcos dictatorship which formally ended in 1986 has generally been seen by many authors and commentators as a transition to democracy. However, a rigorous analysis of the concept and practice of democracy as embraced by the authors in this book challenges this conventional wisdom. In this chapter I re-examine three key interrelated political institutions and practices to evaluate their impact on the democratization process in the country especially since 1986: political families, elections, and political parties. These institutions and practices are evaluated in the context of both the historical and political conditions that led to the fall of the Marcos dictatorship and in the context of a more relevant working denition of democracy adopted by the original authors of Chasing the Wind: Assessing Philippine Democracy in 2011.1 I end this chapter by situating the country's democratization process in the broader context of understanding our political development since 1986. I argue that the so-called transition process has so far fallen short of both the procedural requirements and substantive conditions for the successful installation of a democratic order. _________________ *This is a revised and expanded version of the author's two chapters, “In Search of Credible Elec ons and Par es: The Philippine Paradox”; and “Rethinking Democra za on in the Philippines” that first appeared in Chasing the Wind: Assessing Philippine Democracy by Felipe B. Miranda, Temario C. Rivera, Malaya C. Ronas, and Ronald D. Holmes (Quezon City: Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines and United Na ons Development Programme, 2011).