Democratization of Arcadia

The Democratization of Arcadia, known in Arcadia as La Liberacion(Greater Arcadian), A Libertação (Northern Arcadian), or La Liberazione (Western Arcadian) (All: "the Transition")is a period of modern Arcadian history encompassing the regime change that moved from the Medeirist dictatorship to the consolidation of a parliamentary system, in the form of monarchy under Leopoldo I.

According to scholars, the democratization process kickstarted in 1949 with the ascension of Silvio Faraghi as leader, although some say the stage for Faraghi was set after the death of the dictator Cezar Medeiros, in July 1945. Historians disagree on the exact date the transition was completed: some say it ended after the 1962 leneral election, while others place it later, when the 1963 Constitution was approved. Others suggest it ended with the failure of the 1967 attempted coup d'état. At its latest, the Democratization is said to have ended with the first peaceful transfer of executive power, after the victory of the Arcadian Labor Party (PTA) in the 1974 leneral election.

Often cited as a paradigm of peaceful, negotiated transition, political violence during the Arcadian Democratization was far more prevalent than is commonly attributed to the general public. Riots and protests were common throughout much of the 1950s. However, strong economic growth and Faraghi's personal popularity ensured that the Democratization process was not derailed by said violence.