home > by issue > democracy and human rights > democracy promotion
June 11, 2009
Op-Ed
New York Times
Elliott Abrams argues that Lebanon's recent elections can be considered "free," while Iran's elections should not.
April 2009
Must Read
Washington Quarterly's C. Christine Fair argues that despite the largesse of the U.S. budget spent to further goals in Pakistan, only minimal progress toward most of these objectives has been achieved.
See more in Pakistan, U.S. Strategy and Politics
March 18, 2009
Must Read
This report analyzes the role of intelligence agencies in Pakistan's political life through exploring the agencies' objectives and mechanisms.
See more in Pakistan, Democracy Promotion
March/April 2009
Foreign Affairs Article — Summary
Democratic institutions cannot be set up easily; they are likely to emerge only when certain social and cultural conditions exist.
See more in Democracy Promotion, Economic Development
February 26, 2009
Must Read
Brookings presents a roadmap of policy alternatives for constructive engagement with Cuba which encourages the Cuban people to pursue a democratic future without trying to impose it on them.
See more in Cuba
March/April 2009
Podcast
From the March/April 2009 issue of Foreign Affairs: What we know about modernization.
See more in Democracy Promotion, Economic Development
Updated: February 18, 2009
Interview
An interview with Ayman Nour shortly before his arrest in 2005. Nour, a pro-democracy Egyptian dissident, was released after three years in prison on February 18, 2009.
January 28, 2009
Interview
Bruce O. Riedel, an expert on South Asia, who has worked for the CIA, Pentagon, and National Security Council, says getting Pakistan to close down sanctuaries for Taliban militants poses the toughest test for the region's new special representative, Richard Holbrooke.
See more in Afghanistan, Pakistan
January 12, 2009
Article
Foreign Service Journal
Robert McMahon writes, "U.S. democracy promotion policy appears to be at a crossroads, with big divisions within both parties over how much of it we should be doing."
See more in U.S. Election 2008
January 8, 2009
Op-Ed
South China Morning Post
Jerome A. Cohen writes, "the vibrant democracy for which so many in Taiwan have struggled is in trouble. Corruption threatens the integrity of the political system."
See more in Taiwan, Human Rights
CFR offers a variety of email newsletters about up-to-date CFR.org material on what’s happening around the world.
Enter your email address and click 'Go' to subscribe.
CFR Experts are based in CFR’s New York and Washington offices. Each expert's bio page contains his or her contact information, professional and educational history, links to publications and current research, a downloadable one-page biographical narrative, and a high-definition photo.
Presidency (7/6): Peter Beinart discusses Franklin D. Roosevelt's foreign policy legacy in Time Magazine.
United States (7/6): Amity Shlaes considers Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Depression, in Time Magazine.
Afghanistan (6/30): Micah Zenko argues that collateral damage in Afghanistan is unavoidable, in Guardian UK.
Israel (6/25): Elliot Abrams argues that “Hillary is wrong about the Israeli settlements,” in the Wall Street Journal.
Trade (6/23): Amity Shlaes considers the elimination of the job of U.S trade representative, on Bloomberg.com.
Global Health (6/19): Laurie Garrett and Kammerle Schneider assess the use of antibiotics in feed animals, and the rise of antibiotic resistant pathogens, for the Center for Global Development.
U.S. Strategy and Politics (6/22): Leslie Gelb argues that President Obama is right to keep his distance--this is what Iranians want, and they have smart, sophisticated reasons for it, on the Daily Beast.
North Korea (6/22): Scott Snyder analyzes North Korea’s approach to “getting what it wants from the United States,” on GlobalSecurity.org.
The Canadian oil sands present an important challenge to policymakers: they promise energy security benefits but present climate change problems. Michael A. Levi assesses the energy security and climate change effects of the oil sands and makes recommendations for U.S. policymakers within the context of broader bilateral relations with Canada.
This report explores an important element of the maritime policy regime: the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Author Scott G. Borgerson examines the international negotiations that led to the convention, the history of debates in the United States over whether to join it, and the strategic importance of the oceans for U.S. foreign policy today.
Complete list of Council Special Reports
In War of Necessity, War of Choice, Richard N. Haass contrasts the decisions that shaped the conduct of two wars between the United States and Iraq involving the two presidents Bush and Saddam Hussein, and writes an authoritative, personal account of how U.S. foreign policy is made, what it should seek, and how it should be pursued.
In Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know, Julia E. Sweig presents a remarkably accessible portrait of Cuba’s unique place on the world stage over the past fifty years, including its internal politics, its often fraught relationship with the United States, and its shifting relationship with the global community.
As Ray Takeyh shows in Guardians of the Revolution, behind the famous personalities and extremist slogans of Iran is a nation that is far more pragmatic—and complex—than many in the West have been led to believe.
Complete list of CFR Books
Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy
International Affairs Fellow in Residence
Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy
Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies
Adjunct Senior Fellow
Former Senior Fellow for South and West Asia
Senior Fellow for Europe Studies
Adjunct Senior Fellow for Africa Policy Studies
Senior Fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia
Henry A. Kissinger Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy
Managing Editor, Foreign Affairs
Copyright 2009 by the Council on Foreign Relations. All Rights Reserved.
Global Economy 