A thought-provoking study of democratization proposing that the spate of retreating democracies, one after another over the past two decades, is not just a series of exceptions.

U.S. talks with the junta in Myanmar have yielded few results, yet planned elections and a looming crisis in some border regions will force the U.S. to play a larger role, and possibly gain leverage with the regime, writes CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick.

The once-prosperous democratic ally of the United States faces continuing upheaval unless the elite and opposition agree to political reforms and a frank debate about the future of its monarchy, writes CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick.

President Obama must not let his postponed trip to Indonesia scuttle U.S. plans to forge a lasting strategic partnership with an emerging world power, writes CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick.

What will Obama focus on during his upcoming Asia trip? CFR experts Evan Feigenbaum, Joshua Kurlantzick, Scott Snyder, Edward Alden, and Sheila Smith discuss the agendas for India, Indonesia, South Korea, G20, and Japan.

Ahead of President Obama's Asia trip, CFR experts Sheila Smith, Joshua Kurlantzick, Elizabeth Economy, and Scott Snyder discuss what the president should focus on during his visit to Japan, Singapore, China, and South Korea.

The steady U.S. presence at Asian meetings--like the upcoming ASEAN ministerial--reinforces its ties to countries in China's shadow, writes CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick.

The escalating standoff between Thai government troops and red shirt protesters reflects a fundamental shift in Thai politics and a weak government, writes CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick.

Escalating hostilities between China and its neighbors over competing claims to the South China Sea is a test of China's growing strength and a diplomatic challenge for the United States, which insists that the waterway should be open, says CFR's Joshua Kurlantzick.

Joshua Kurlantzick says more is needed from Myanmar president U Thein Sein and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi to foster tolerance and and reconciliation in the ethnically divided country.

Joshua Kurlantzick discusses the China model of economic development, which he describes as, "economic liberalization without political liberalization."

Joshua Kurlantzick discusses democracy's decline and his new book, Democracy in Retreat: The Revolt of the Middle Class and the Worldwide Decline of Representative Government in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Joshua Kurlantzick adapts part of his new book, Democracy in Retreat:The Revolt of the Middle Class and the Worldwide Decline of Representative Government for the Wall Street Journal.

Joshua Kurlantzick examines how the Obama administration relies on the Pentagon to serve as diplomatic interlocutor in Southeast Asia and argues against U.S. military cooperation with the region's most oppressive countries.

As the United States and other Western countries continue to suspend sanctions against Myanmar, multinationals are lining up for the chance to invest in the one-time pariah. In this article for Bloomberg Businessweek, Joshua Kurlantzick argues that this gold rush is "wildly premature."

Joshua Kurlantzick says, "... Thailand, once a poster child for democratization in the developing world, has undergone perhaps the most rapid and severest democratic regression in the entire world."

Joshua Kurlantzick warns that while investors may look on Burma as a potential emerging market, they should be aware that Burma has experienced periods of short-lived openness before.

Joshua Kurlantzick and Elizabeth Leader discuss how the newest threats to expression and access on the Internet are not coming from authoritarian states, but instead from somewhere more surprising: electoral democracies like Thailand, Turkey, and South Korea.

Joshua Kurlantzick explores the challenges of Myanmar's business environment.

Joshua Kurlantzick says that despite the hopes raised by the Arab Spring, democracy is actually in retreat around the world, but there is a way to revive it.

Joshua Kurlantzick says dramatic signs of political opening and reform by Myanmar's new civilian government suggest the limits of international pressure.