Young Democracies in the Balance: Lessons for the International Community

Ethan B. Kapstein; Nathan Converse

by

Ethan B. Kapstein

and

Nathan Converse

January 17, 2008

Why do new democracies sometimes fail? This CGD brief by visiting fellow Ethan Kapstein explores the underlying reasons for frequent backsliding in the world's fledgling democracies and offers the international community recommendations for helping them stay on track toward political stability. Kapstein argues that the international community should encourage political arrangements in which government leaders are constrained by effective checks and balances, and economic policies that help to ensure that the benefits of growth are widely shared.

Topics

Corruption, Transparency, and Governance

Poverty and Inequality

CITATION

B. Kapstein, Ethan, and Nathan Converse. 2008. Young Democracies in the Balance: Lessons for the International Community. Center for Global Development.

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