Comparative Democratization Project - Stanford University
Keywords: democracy, freedom, liberty, human rights,
civil society, democratization, transition, reform, revolution,
politics, political parties, elections, rule of law,
justice, corruption, economy, development, military, ethnic.
Since the third wave of democratization began in 1974,
more than 60 countries in Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, Latin
America, Asia, and Africa have made transitions from authoritarian
regimes (of varying duration and repressiveness) to some form of
democracy (however tentative and partial).
This wave of democratization, the greatest to date in the world
system, represents a sea change in international relations and
comparative politics. This project attempts to overcome the
traditional division between academic disciplines and area studies
to understand these rapid global transformations.
Sponsored by the Institute for International Studies of Stanford
University, its research foci include the following:
- Development of theories about democratization that
can apply both within and across different regions.
- Examination of the role of specific actors in the
process of democratization, such as armies, police, labor,
business, and political parties.
- Examination of the impact of specific policies on
democratization, ranging from domestic economic and ethnic
strategies to international policies to encourage the spread
of democracy
- Analysis of the problems, progress, contradictions,
and challenges confronting democratic development in particular
countries and regions around the world
Lead Faculty: Terry Karl, Larry Diamond, Michel Oksenberg,
Michael McFaul, Gail Lapidus
| Syllabi Collection |
| Seminar 99-00 |
Seminar 98-99 |
Seminar 97-98 |
Seminar 96-97 |
Seminar 95-96 |
Seminar 94-95 |
| General Resources |
Civil-Military Relations |
Civil Society |
Economic Development |
Elections |
Human Rights |
Inter-ethnic Relations |
Rule of Law |
| Africa |
The Americas |
Asia/Pacific |
Europe and FSU |
Middle East |