Reframing Democracy

Democracy Digest has published highlights from an interview with Anne-Marie Slaughter,  the State Department’s head of policy planning.  She explains that the Obama administration has downplayed but not downgraded democracy.  Asking for patience in response to charges of backtracking, she argues the “administration is changing the discourse and framework in which it articulates its support for promoting democracy.”  She conceded that democratization efforts are likely to be integrated into the development agenda, but that she would be “surprised if it [democracy assistance] was subordinated.”

In a related piece, Democracy Digest is reporting on a new analysis of revolutions worldwide that claims shifts in power do not deliver sustainable democracy: “many of the countries where electoral revolutions take place lack important prerequisites for democratization, including high per capita income and high linkage with the international community. Electoral revolutions are powerful moments of mass protest and civic participation, but their lack of effectiveness requires rethinking this strategy of democratization.”