Skip to Main Content| Colorblind Mode:OnOff

Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Coming of a Democratic Century?

Chapter Review

In the heady days of the late 1980s and early 1990s it appeared democracy was sweeping the world. Francis Fukuyama coined the term the end of history to describe how the world seemed to be experiencing "the universalization of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government." As the 1990s went on, however, history came roaring back with conflicts throughout the world. Samuel Huntington, in contrast to Fukuyama, argued the world was experiencing a "clash of civilizations."

The end of the Cold War did experience a wave of democratization. However, tremendous uncertainties remain as to whether the gains made in many new democracies will be consolidated and institutionalized. In Africa, a trend of strongman leaders leads us to question if these men will allow democracy to take hold. A high percentage of states in the Middle East are not free and the relation of Islamic fundamentalism to human rights and democratization is particularly controversial. Any complacency brought on by the spread of democracy in the 1990s in Latin America has been shaken by the instabilities of the region in recent years. Amnesty International points out human rights violations throughout the world, though the organization also notes that there are many examples of positive change.

According to the theory of the democratic peace, the United States should support the spread of democracy not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because history demonstrates that democracies do not fight wars against fellow democracies. The Democratic Peace theory has had a major influence on actual US foreign policy in both the Clinton and the Bush administrations. Proponents of the democratic peace cite empirical evidence for their claim and focus on the role of both domestic political constraints and the internationalization of democratic norms. Four principal arguments, however, have been made by those who question the democratic peace theory:

  • The confusing of correlation with causality and the possibility of a spurious relationship
  • Doubts about the connection between peace and trade
  • States undergoing democratization may be more aggressive
  • Democracies may aggressively pursue global democratization

American foreign policy has repeatedly been faced with tensions and trade-offs between considerations of Power and Principles. The war on terrorism is no exception. During the Cold War, American foreign policy adhered to the "ABC" definition of Third World democrats. In the contemporary context of the war on terrorism, we moved towards an "ABT" – anybody but terrorists – definition.

American foreign policy has also faced tension in the trade-offs between Principles and Prosperity. These are most evident in recent years with the use of economic sanctions. Though not the only purpose for which economic sanctions are used, democracy promotion and human rights protection have been among their main purposes. Policy-makers must therefore decide whether to impose limits on economic relations with other countries to try to force political changes. Among recent cases of economic sanctions were those against China, Haiti, and Iraq.

Democracy and human rights promotion have also been of utmost importance to many international actors in recent years. The array of actors involved in promoting democratization may be broader than in any other area of foreign policy. Such actors include:

  • The US government
  • Other foreign governments
  • NGOs
  • International institutions

These actors implement a variety of strategies in the promotion of democracy. This generally involves five key objectives:

  • Facilitating free and fair elections
  • Helping build strong and accountable political institutions
  • Strengthening the rule of law
  • Protecting human rights
  • Helping cultivate a robust civil society

These policies require serious and extensive attention.

Print This Page
Bookmark and Share

The Norton Gradebook

Instructors and students now have an easy way to track online quiz scores with the Norton Gradebook.

Go to the Norton Gradebook