SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY

by Larry Diamond

"Meticulous . . . [Diamond] gleaned that . . . the fate of democracy was not driven by events but by the passion of individual people."― The New York Times Book Review 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 sweeping vision for advancing freedom around the world, renowned 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. To spur a renewed democratic boom Diamond urges the United States to vigorously support good governance and free civic organizations. Only then will the spirit of democracy be secured.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Political Science, International Relations, Government, Social Science

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2008

About the author

Larry Jay Diamond (born October 2, 1951) is a political sociologist and leading contemporary scholar in the field of democracy studies. He is a professor of Sociology and Political Science (by courtesy) at Stanford University and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative policy think tank. At Stanford he teaches courses on democratic development and supervises the democracy program at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. He has published extensively in the fields of foreign policy, foreign aid, and democracy.

Diamond is also a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, which is Stanford University’s main center for research on international issues. At the Institute Diamond serves as the director of the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. The CDDRL’s most recent accomplishment came in the spring of 2011 by building a technological community between Tahrir Square (Cairo, Egypt) and Silicon Valley (California Bay Area). This community was fully focused on helping mobilize protesters in Egypt who eventually helped in the downfall of autocratic president Hosni Mubarak.

Diamond has served as an advisor to numerous governmental and international organizations at various points in his life, including the United States Department of State, United Nations, World Bank, and U.S. Agency for International Development. He is a founding co-editor of the National Endowment for Democracy's Journal of Democracy. He is also a coordinator of the Hoover Institution's Iran Democracy Project, along with Abbas Milani and Michael McFaul.

Reviews

[Steven Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

While somewhat basic in its overall approach, I found this to be a solid book that provides a useful, timely and comprehensive overview of the current state of democratic governance on a global scale.

It is written in way that makes it useful for both classroom purposes as well as for the general reader. If used in class I would recommend that it be used in conjunction with a more theory-based text.

[ragheb aljaoor · Rating 5 out of 5]

عندما تكون الديمقراطيّة من أهمّ محاولات الإنسان لبلوغه عتبة القيام بمهامه المتعددة بكونها فكرةً بشريّة قامت بها أقدم المجتمعات في كلّ قارّات العالم..
يقدّم لاري دايموند في كتابه هذا رؤيته عن الدّيمقراطيّة وتاريخهابحسناتها وسيّئاتها ..ويسرد قصّة الدّم الذي أريق في مواجهة الأنظمة المستبدّة المسيطرة بدبّاباتها الثقافيّة
وشبكاتها الاقتصاديّة العنكبوتيّة
يتحدّث الكاتب فيه بطريقة الاستقصاء والتحليل عن تجارب التحوّل الديمقراطي وعن النظرة التشاؤميّة التي كانت سائدة قبل عام 1974..
ويشدّك من تلابيبك لمصطلحات:الديمقراطيّة الزّائفة..الإرث الإستعماري المشترك..

بعد كلّ هذا الجهد العميق من لاري دايموند لابدّ من شكر الأستاذ عبد النّور الخراقي على هذه اليد الرّائعة في الترجمة واللغة المتينة في نقل أفكار الكاتب

[ragheb aljaoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

مشكلة الإسلام مع الديموقراطية ليست من منابع الإسلام ولاحتى من روافده بل هي من تحول الآراءالفقهية إلى دين وأسلوب عيش فترة ما إلى عقيدة لا مناص عنها.
الكتاب موسوعي تم تأليفه ليناسب القارئ الحر والقارئ الآكاديمي
(من المؤكد أن الديموقراطية ضعيفةوتعاني من صعوبات شديدة...في الكثير من البلدان ..ولكن جميع هذه المشاكل تتعلق بخيانات النخب الحاكمة أكثر من تعلقها بمشاكل الشعب وأفكاره الاستبدادية)
نعم الديموقراطية لديها مشاكلها الخاصة...ولكنها ستبقى أفضل من أي شكل من أشكال الحكومة...لاري دايموند .
العمر أقصر من أن تقرأ كتابا ما مرتين...ولكنني واثق من عودتي اليه.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the author of this book notes, democracy has seen it's greatest expansion within the last few decades. Even today, with the current crises in the Middle East, democracy has not lost its luster to millions of people yearning for freedom. In 2008, Larry Diamond wrote this book about how democracies are formed, usually from the ground up, and the future prospects of various places on the map either becoming full democracies or improving the democracies they already have. And though some of his analysis on the prospects for democracy are a little dated, this is an invaluable look at the spirit of "the worst form of government, save for all the rest." Mr. Diamond's experience studying democracy and how democratic governments rise and fall shows throughout this book. He cites a great deal of data and shows how Western democracies have recently been pushing for democracy in the world by creating foundations, research groups, and endowments in order to fund grassroots movements for democracy in the Third World. In particular, he notes the work of the National Endowment for Democracy and how it's timely grants to grassroots movements aided certain democracy groups in Eastern Europe at the end of the Cold War. For anyone who has been both fascinated and appalled by recent attempts by people around the world to establish democracies, this would be an invaluable read for you to pick up. And in spite of some of his dated predictions and somewhat radical proposals for reinvigorating American democracy in the last chapter of the book, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the process of democratization.

[Timothy Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comprehensive, vivid argument on behalf of the cause of world democracy. It points the way to getting there, triumphant as that may sound. A tour de force of reason. Diamond's one of the champions of constructive geopolitical thought.

[Ricardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book!! It is must-read for those interested in democratic institutions. Prof. Diamond lays out in a comprehensible way the nuts and bolts of democracy.

[Mohamed Al Sayyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

أنصح به وبشدة للمهتمين في السياسة، وأعتبره مرجع ممتاز في هذا المجال للتعرف على مخاضات الديمقراطيّة.

[Nate Kraft · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling look into the formation of democracies and what makes them work.

[Jarrett Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat interesting, though dated, examination of what it takes to promote democracy around the world, including reforms to international aid and stronger civil societies. While many of his ideas around stronger democratic institutions to build faith in democracy match my thoughts and those of Acemoglu and Robinson, I found his confidence that democracy would accompany economic development less compelling, especially given the increasingly sophisticated ways authoritarian states like China have found to fight liberalization.

[Phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly written. Published in 2008, includes info through 2007.

This book is about the possible spread of democracy throughout the world. Mostly the author is simply describing but toward the later chapters, he offers advice -- most, sadly, of the type that will be ignored.

Chapter 15 addresses his concerns about the future of democracy in the United States. Good advice. I, cynically, think it'll never happen.

[James P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very thorough and academic. While I was impressed with the author's intellectual and academic abilities. Not what I was looking for.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good foundational info and ideas, but too outdated, could use a new edition

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most profound, insightful and intelligent political books I have ever read. I would put it up there with de Tocqueville's Democracy in America. In fact, you might say it takes many of the Frenchman's 19th Century insights and applies them to the rest of the world. With the exception of a few boring statistics, Larry keeps the flow moving, writing in a style that leaves you pondering each sentence. So it's a slow read, but a very worthwhile experience. Disclosures first. I attended Stanford with Larry Diamond in the 70s and have followed his academic career. After attending a spellbinding lecture last October on the influence of Internet and Social Networks on Global Democratic Movements, I purchased a copy of his book (and obtained the author's autograph). This is a very deep, engaging read that will go quite slow, deservedly slow. . A comprehensive historical perspective on modern democratic movements around the world with profiles of courageous figures Ang Sang Suu Kyi, Vaclav Havel and Gandhi Professor Diamond charts the evolution of democracy by each continent. As a 30 years resident and recent citizen of Singapore, I have to commend Diamond's objectivity and scholarship in dealing with the subject of democracy in Southeast Asia. While acknowledging the miracle of Singapore's evolution and economic development, Larry offers a sober, well-reasoned commentary on the political challenges facing the Republic. Add to this the fact that Diamond is one of the few political commentators I have come across who has actually secured a private interview with Lee Kwan Yew and faithfully recorded his comments. It would have been far too easy to ritualistically bash Singapore from a politically correct pedestal.
My only criticism of this book (and one which I have recently tendered to Professor Diamond directly) is that he urgently needs to update his analysis especially after the recent events in North Africa (2011). He has chosen to write about a topic that is constantly evolving. His group at the Hoover Institution does a commendable job tracking developments in the Journal of Democracy publication but some key points in this book deserve an update. Any student of history and political science, make that anyone who steps into a voting booth and wants to fully indulge and exercise the privilege of democratic election must read this book

[Doron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Larry Diamond’s ‘The Spirit of Democracy’ provides a comprehensive overview of the main elements and key drivers of democracy, and its progress in the world historically. Diamond writes from a perspective of cautious optimism about the chances of democracy spreading and deepening across the globe, in spite of the contemporary setbacks in Iraq and Afghanistan and renewed resistance from authoritarian regimes in recent years. The book is well researched, citing numerous examples of democratic progress in Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia dating from 1974 when, according to Diamond, the democratic “boom” commenced. Diamond’s core argument that democracy can succeed owing to its broad universal appeal is buttressed by his use of extensive public opinion data compiled by independent data sources such as World Values Survey, and by the scope of the empirical evidence Diamond presents documenting the rise of democratic states during the course of the last thirty years.

Recommended to anyone with an interest in promoting democracy around the world (okay, that would probably include everyone I know).

[Maryjane]

I really like Larry Diamond's synthesis of the issues, and this book intrigued me because of my recent work in Cambodia and the struggles it has to be a real democracy. I have had a bit more trouble getting into it -- it is more of a thesis than a story -- but I will let you know what I learn (if I don't have to return it to the library first!)

[Guilherme Casarões · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone interested in democracies and democratization across the globe. Long but enjoyable reading; provides a lot of useful and detailed country-specific information on the building of democracy and its setbacks.

[Tidar Rachmadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back in the days *yawwwn*

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a very American-centric viewpoint and an immature writing style, with more phrases and ideas from other sources than from the author himself.

[محمد هيكل · Rating 4 out of 5]

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