The backlash against democracy promotion is largely a by-product of the proliferation of so-called hybrid regimes in the aftermath of democracy’s third wave. The legal and extralegal measures adopted by regimes determined to stymie democracy assistance range from constraints to cooptation, from coercion to closure. The overall response must come at three distinct levels—the tactical, the political, and the normative.
About the Authors
Carl Gershman
Carl Gershman is the founding president of the National Endowment for Democracy.
Michael Allen, special assistant to the vice-president for government and external relations at the National Endowment for Democracy, is editor of the online publication Democracy Digest.
Many countries have adopted the form of democracy with little of its substance. This makes the task of classifying regimes more difficult, but also more important.
Although Islamist terror groups invoke a host of religious references, the real source of their ideas is not the Koran but rather Leninism, fascism, and other strains of twentieth-century thought…
They are good signs for the future of democracy in Iran, but it will take time and energy to organize these promising pieces into a greater democracy movement.
