Does Democracy Matter?

The United States and Global Democracy Support

Edited by Adrian Basora, Agnieszka Marczyk, Maia Otarashvili

Publication date:

29 March 2017

Length of book:

222 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781538101841

Confidence in the future of democracy has been shaken by the authoritarian resurgence of the past decade, and some now argue that it is not realistic for the US to continue to champion democracy abroad. Does Democracy Matter? provides the conclusions of eleven scholars from widely different backgrounds who ask whether and, if so, how the US should support democracy beyond its own borders. The authors agree that American strategic interests are served in the long run by the spread of democracy abroad, but they differ as to how this support meshes with other national security goals. The concluding chapter outlines a system of triage for realistically assessing where and how such assistance can be effective in promoting US security interests.

Contributions by Adrian A. Basora, Sarah Bush, Larry Diamond, Carl Gershman, Nikolas K. Gvosdev, Melinda Haring, Michal Kořan, Richard Kraemer, Agnieszka Marczyk, Tsveta Petrova, and Kenneth Yalowitz.

Acknowledgments
Introduction, Adrian A. Basora and Kenneth Yalowitz

Chapter 1: Democracy Support: Global Challenges and the Importance of U.S. Leadership, Carl Gershman
Chapter 2: Realist Counsel on Democracy Promotion, Nikolas K. Gvosdev
Chapter 3: A Case for Democracy Assistance and Ways to Improve It, Richard Kraemer
Chapter 4: Three Lessons about Democracy Assistance Effectiveness, Sarah Bush
Chapter 5: Reforming the Democracy Bureaucracy, Melinda Haring
Chapter 6: The Multiplier Effects of U.S. Democracy Promotion, Tsveta Petrova
Chapter 7: East Central Europe and the Future of Democracy, Michal Kořan
Chapter 8: Reviving the Global Democratic Momentum, Larry Diamond
Chapter 9: Academic Conclusions, Working Hypotheses, and Areas for Further Research, Agnieszka Marczyk
Chapter 10: Policy Conclusions and Recommendations, Adrian A. Basora and Kenneth Yalowitz

Glossary
Index
About the Editors and Contributors

Overall, Does Democracy Matter is a good source to assist the policy community in making good decisions.... In an era of doubt about the legitimacy of democracy, the book is a major addition to the literature of the theoretical and policy issues surrounding the spread of democracy abroad.