Bolstering Democracy

The rise of the Trump administration has changed the face of US politics forever. For authors Dr. Mathew J. Burrows and Dr. Maria J. Stephan, this seems to herald the backing away from supporting democracy. When America's president seems indifferent about protecting the institutions of democracy, citizens may feel disinclined to remember the lessons history has taught us.

Burrows and Stephan have compiled this guide as a reminder of the absolute necessity of supporting democracy in the fight against authoritarianism and the potential erosion of a just way of life. Using case studies involving Cuba, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, and Indonesia, they illustrate the challenges that support for democracy faces and explore

• the importance of knowing when outside actors should back off,
• the need for effective collaboration,
• the best ways to effect a nonviolent transition in government,
• the role of the private sector in supporting democracy, and
• important insights about the long and complicated process of instituting and cultivating democracy.

These case studies demonstrate the truth about how fragile young democracies are-and the difficulties of outside support for them.