Democracy Promotion and the Obama Administration

Since the November 2008 election of Barack Obama, a number of analysts and scholars have considered the ways that the new administration can approach democracy promotion as a key component of U.S. foreign policy.  CCD has followed this debate closely, and we have made our own contribution by way of the CCD Task Force Recommendations to President Obama on Strengthening the Community of Democracies. 

The published articles below, with links for reading these contributions online, represent the views of the individual authors and are not endorsed by CCD.

April 2009: In Which We Engage
Leon Wieseltier, The New Republic

April 2009: Revitalizing U.S. Democracy Promotion: A Comprehensive Plan for Reform
Michael Cohen & Maria Figueroa Kupcu, New America Foundation

March 2009: Democracy Promotion in Obama’s Reign
Richard Gephardt & Vin Weber, published in Politico

March 2009: Democracy in U.S. Security Strategy: From Promotion to Support
Alexander Lennon, Larry Diamond, Francis Fukuyama & Michael McFaul, Center for Strategic and International Studies

February 2009: Democracy Promotion Under Obama: Finding a Way Forward
Thomas Carothers, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

February 2009: Stepping Back from Democratic Pessimism
Thomas Carothers, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

February 2009: Quieter Approach to Spreading Democracy Abroad
Peter Baker, The New York Times

January 2009: Democracy: The Case for Opportunistic Idealism
Gideon Rachman, The Washington Quarterly

December 2008: How to Save Democracy
Larry Diamond, published in Newsweek