New Threats to Freedom: The Assault on Democracy Assistance

Issue Date April 2006
Volume 17
Issue 2
Page Numbers 36-51
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The backlash against democracy promotion is largely a by-product of the proliferation of so-called hybrid regimes in the aftermath of democracy’s third wave. The legal and extralegal measures adopted by regimes determined to stymie democracy assistance range from constraints to cooptation, from coercion to closure. The overall response must come at three distinct levels—the tactical, the political, and the normative.

About the Authors

Carl Gershman

Carl Gershman is the founding president of the National Endowment for Democracy.

View all work by Carl Gershman

Michael Allen

Michael Allen, special assistant to the vice-president for government and external relations at the National Endowment for Democracy, is editor of the online publication Democracy Digest.

View all work by Michael Allen