Sheri Berman
The Pipe Dream of Undemocratic Liberalism
ArticleA look at liberal democracy’s complex historical evolution shows that elite fantasies of liberalism without democracy are ill-founded. Authoritarian legacies and democratic deficits lie at the core of trends that threaten liberal rights.
The Specter Haunting Europe: The Lost Left
ArticlePost-1945 Western Europe benefited greatly from center-left parties offering real solutions to real problems. Where has that left gone?
Making Democratic Waves
ArticleEuropean Disintegration? Warnings from History
ArticleThe irony at the heart of Europe’s current crisis is that although the EU originated as part of a post-1945 effort to consolidate democracy in Western Europe, the Union’s travails are now pushing the continent in the opposite direction instead.
Books in Review: Fukuyama’s Grand Vision
ArticleA review of The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution by Francis Fukuyama.
Taming Extremist Parties: Lessons from Europe
ArticleThe history of twentieth-century European communist parties shows that extremists can be moderated by robust democratic institutions. Without them, however, the inclusion of extremist parties may undermine democracy.
The Vain Hope for "Correct" Timing
ArticleThe history of many of today’s established democracies shows that “out-of-sequence” democratization can lead to eventual success.
How Democracies Emerge: Lessons from Europe
ArticleThose 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 democracies have "backstories" as turbulent as anything found in the developing world today.
