Eastern Europe a Decade Later: Geography and Democratic Destiny

The May 2005 presidential election capped a process of conservative reentrenchment, but with a surprising populist twist.

In Africa today, investment flows in and civil societies grow stronger, yet many of the continent's leaders continue to behave autocratically, defending their privileges against the spread of law-based rule.

In recent years several Westminster-style parliamentary democracies have considered cutting their ties with the British monarchy and becoming republics. The difficulties involved in trying to make such a shift were…