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.
The alleged tradeoff between economic development and political democracy-building is more fiction than fact. Indeed, progress toward fuller democratic governance can in fact enhance development.
Weak or failed states are at the root of many serious global problems, from poverty and AIDS to drug trafficking and terrorism, to the failure of democratic government itself. State-building…
