Demonstration Elections explains the template the United States government has used since 1966 in the Dominican Republic to put a "democratic" smiley face on autocratic governments, through the manipulation of the electoral system and the exclusion of populist and revolutionary parties and candidates. They usually occur during or shortly after a military coup or occupation, with the goal of institutionalizing the occupation on one hand while presenting the illusion of democracy to the folks back home who are paying for it, on the other. Besides the introduction and detailed chapters on the Dominican Republic in 1966, Viet Nam in 1967, and El Salvador in 1982, Demonstration Elections includes an entire chapter on the important role played by the media. This book may be almost 30 years old, but it's as current as the recent demonstration election in Honduras and the one upcoming in Nov, 2010 in Haiti.
