Measuring Democratic Commitment

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.

Those who argue that democracy requires preconditions often cite the example of gradual unfolding set by the established democracies. A glance at history, however, shows that even today's most placid…

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.