The number of democratic states around the world has been steadily climbing over the last few decades, including countries that were previously deemed unlikely candidates for achieving democratic transitions: former communist states in Eastern Europe, Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia, or poor African countries like Mali. In recent years, this optimistic trend has seen some serious reversals: Russia, Venezuela, and Nigeria to name a few. In the past, the key question of democratic development was whether the whole world could one day be democratic. Today we know that, in principle, the answer is yes. But a more consequential question arises: How can countries that became democracies stay democratic?
Transcript available in English, Arabic, French, Russian, and Spanish
Recent Comments