Stepping back from democratic pessimism
Thomas Carothers | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | 2010
Pessimism about the progress of democracy in the developing and postcommunist
worlds has risen sharply in recent years. Negative developments in a variety
of countries, such as military coups, failed elections, and the emergence of antidemocratic
populist leaders, have caused some observers to argue that democracy
is in retreat and authoritarianism on the march. A broad look at the state
of democracy around the world reveals however that although the condition of
democracy is certainly troubled in many places, when viewed relative to where
it was at the start of this decade, democracy has not lost ground in the world
overall. The former Soviet Union is the one region where democracy has clearly
slipped backward in this decade, primarily as a result of Russia’s authoritarian
slide. The Middle East has also been a source of signifi cant disappointment on
democracy but mostly in comparison with unrealistic expectations that were
raised by the Bush administration. In most of the rest of the world good news
with respect to democratization is found in roughly equal proportion to bad
news and considerable continuity has prevailed as well.
Sprache | English
Stepping back from democratic pessimism