The presidential candidates generally agree on support for democracy and human rights in Arab states, but have differed on several policy particulars, such as military intervention in Libya and Syria.

China is dealing with growing signs of social unrest and a budding civil society, but the central government’s power grip leaves little room for democracy.

The U.S. government has several channels for promoting democracy, but a plethora of independent U.S. organizations with that same mandate also exist, with varying degrees of financial dependency on t…