COMP POLI:COUNTRIES AT CROSSROADS

The later part of the 20th century saw an unprecedented surge in democratic movements all over the globe. From East Central Europe and Central Asia to Latin America and Africa the global "wave" of democratization seemed to be reaching into all corners of the world. Some observers declared an ideological victory for economic and political liberalism, and Francis Fukuyama has famously proclaimed the "end of history." Yet, the path of these new democracies has been nothing but uniform and in many cases the initial euphoric democratic transition failed to produce effective consolidated democracies. This course examines the political strife of the countries at crossroads and attempts to explain the successes and failures of democratization efforts in the strategically important regions around the world.