The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies Throughout the World [Hardcover]

Larry Diamond (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 080507869X | ISBN-13: 978-0805078695 | Publication Date: January 8, 2008 | Edition: First Edition

One of America's preeminent experts on democracy charts the future prospects for freedom around the world in the aftermath of Iraq and deepening authoritarianism
 

Over three decades, the world was transformed. In 1974, nearly three-quarters of all countries were dictatorships; today, more than half are democracies. Yet recent efforts to promote democracy have stumbled, and many democratic governments are faltering.

In this bold and sweeping vision for advancing freedom around the world, social scientist Larry Diamond examines how and why democracy progresses. He demonstrates that the desire for democracy runs deep, even in very poor countries, and that seemingly entrenched regimes like Iran and China could become democracies within a generation. He also dissects the causes of the "democratic recession" in critical states, including the crime-infested oligarchy in Russia and the strong-armed populism of Venezuela.

Diamond cautions that arrogance and inconsistency have undermined America's aspirations to promote democracy. To spur a renewed democratic boom, he urges vigorous support of good governance--the rule of law, security, protection of individual rights, and shared economic prosperity--and free civic organizations. Only then will the spirit of democracy be secured.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Political scientist Diamond (Squandered Victory), a leader in the field of democracy studies, provides a broad, authoritative survey of international trends and evolving academic thinking concerning the development and maintenance of democracies worldwide. Looking broadly at internal and external factors driving democratic movements, as well as the forces that sustain them once in place, Diamond argues democracy is not a Western anomaly, but a universal value. Diamond, who served as senior advisor to the Iraqi Coalition Provisional Authority, has witnessed democracy-building efforts at close range. The promotion of democracy in authoritarian regimes through either peaceful pressure or international interventions, Diamond believes, is rarely effective unless supported by outside assistance designed to strengthen internal civil societies. Democracy by force, he intones, has the poorest track record of all, and urges the U.S. and other established democracies to clean up their own houses, reasoning that "It does little good to promote freedom abroad while it gradually slips away at home." Being generally sanguine about the nature and influence of democracies, however, Diamond tends to downplay how they might also serve to maintain exploitative social and economic relations, amongst other political complications, but there's much to glean in this optimistic and carefully supported account.
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Review

"Meticulous… hopeful… The Spirit of Democracy takes on the world [and] offers well-grounded support to anyone who has questioned the long-held theory… that the richer the country, the greater the chances of sustaining democracy."—The New York Times Book Review

"Diamond is… eloquent in arguing that despite the recent blunders of American democracy promoters, there is still a role for the international community in helping societies that are struggling to be free."—Foreign Affairs

"Diamond … strenuously argues against the cynical idea that certain religions, cultures, or societies are incompatible with democracy, pointing to the progress of the past three decades as evidence that democracy is indeed a universal aspiration."—The Chronicle Review

"The Spirit of Democracy is a worthwhile corrective to America’s post-Iraq pessimism about the future of democratic ideals throughout the world."—Francis Fukuyama, author of America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy

"Diamond offers a path forward, full of his customary wisdom, tough-mindedness, and passion. With friends like him, the spirit of democracy will rise again."—Peter Beinart, senior fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, and author of The Good Fight

"No one has thought harder or more broadly about the past and future of democracy than Larry Diamond. A passionate treatment, infused with optimism and eminently readable, The Spirit of Democracy is a must for anyone who cares about the toughest challenge of balancing national values and national interests."—Jessica Tuchman Mathews, president, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

"Ambitious [and] authoritative… Truly interesting."—McClatchy-Tribune Regional News

"A thoroughly researched and informative account… intelligently composed [and] sure to provoke discussion… Highly recommended."—The Midwest Book Review

"Passionate… a refreshingly evenhanded overview of democracy’s global prospects… [Diamond’s] view… is wide-ranging and carefully considered, making this an especially effective work."—Kirkus Reviews

 

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Times Books; First Edition edition (January 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080507869X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805078695
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #743,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and engaging, February 6, 2008

By 

Alex K (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies Throughout the World (Hardcover)

The author opens this extremely interesting book by asking whether it will be possible for the entire world to become democratic and asserts that the answer is yes. What follows in the book is an explanation of why he believes this is the case and what can be done to help expedite the process.

The book is extremely impressive in both its breadth and its depth. The author has detailed chapters about the state and trajectory of democracy in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. These chapters provide not only cogent analysis of current events in those regions but also describe the historical context, which I found very helpful because I had not known much about the background of some of the countries that the author discusses.

The author also does an excellent job blending academic analysis with on-the-ground anecdotes from his extensive travels. For example, he spends a great deal of time discussing the issue of corruption, its relationship with democracy development, and the impact that it has had particularly in Africa --- and he follows this with an interesting story about the corruption that he encountered many years ago on his first trip to Nigeria. I found that these stories made the book much more readable than other books in this genre that often have an exclusively academic focus.

I highly recommend this book to anybody who is interested in current events, foreign policy, rule of law, or 20th century history.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Educational!, May 8, 2008

By 

Loyd E. Eskildson "Pragmatist" (Phoenix, AZ.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies Throughout the World (Hardcover)

Freedom House, which tracks democratic trends and elections around the globe, noted that 2007 was by far the worst year for freedom in the world since the end of the cold war. Almost four times as many states -- 38 -- declined in their freedom scores as improved -- 10.

Why is this? A big part can be explained by the recent rapid rise in oil prices. Oil wealth reduces a nation's need to obtain citizen support for its operations. At the same time, U.S. actions in Iraq, Guantanamo, within our own borders, and supporting oil-rich and/or anti-terrorism ally autocrats have tainted our efforts to promote democracy. Meanwhile, Russia, Venezuela, and others have denounced the activities of American groups within their borders as illegitimate political meddling.

"The Spirit of Democracy" points out that more than multi-party elections are required for democracy. Balanced access to media, impartial administration and dispute resolution, and independent observation are also essential. Sharing power and rule of law are essential.

Finally, Diamond sees the Internet and cell phones as strong forces that help undermine media control by autocrats, and help citizens build the foundation for democracy. He even makes the hopeful prediction that "countries like Iran and China, which now seem so immune to the global democratic trend, stand a very good chance of becoming democratic in the next two to three decades."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEST REFERENCE FOR THE TOPIC OF DEMOCRACY, January 18, 2011

By 

Denis Benchimol Minev "Amazonia" (Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies Throughout the World (Paperback)

The Spirit of Democracy by Larry Diamond is a great book for those who are looking for insight into the often debated question of if democracy is a universal desire throughout the world. There are often discussions of democracy versus more controlled governmental systems, and the current state of democracy in the world.

Diamond goes deeply into the configuration of a democracy, demonstrating that it is not only elections, it is also a set of institutions that work together to guarantee a level playing field politically and certain freedoms, especially of minorities and of speech. The book is peppered with practical examples of successes and failures, with interesting analysis on the reasons.

For those who engage in discussions about the future of societies and whether democracy is a universal value (Diamond certainly thinks so) and if so, how to spread it, this book is a great reference point.