Democracy in Retreat: The Revolt of the Middle Class and the Worldwide Decline of Representative Government (Council on Foreign Relations Books)

Democracy In Retreat:The Revolt of the Middle Class and the Worldwide Decline of Representative Government, by Joshua KurlantzickThis is more of a treatise than a piece of literary nonfiction, and as with most such pieces of writing, the overlong title virtually tells the story. The author has done an admirable job of collecting data and anecdotes to support his thesis here, which is one of high hopes dashed.The U.S., he writes, has been the primary nation actively trying to export democracy, and perhaps too over zealous in doing so. His concern isn’t our misadventures in Vietnam, South America and more recently, Iraq. Instead, it’s our more peaceful efforts to create democracies around the world. However, there has been all too much emphasis on the various electoral processes in doing so, and too little emphasis on policies, including the educational, to support permanent democratic reform. As a result, many democracies of the twentieth century have failed,returning to oligarchies, dictatorships, or other, more repressive forms of representative government.The poor, of course, have borne the primary disappointments here, but in many countries, the middle classes have become disenchanted with the democratic process. In all too many cases, upsetting the status quo has shrunken and disturbed the middle classes, which were both part of the ladder of societal ascendance and a buffer between poor and risk, disenfranchised and powerful. Much of the frustration here has been that more repressive societies, such as China, seem to achieve economic success while many democratic countries founder economically due to the decision-making inefficiencies of most democratic states.To this reader, the author spends too much time citing one case history after another and too little trying to map our way of his quagmire. Still he does a service in tacitly insisting that perhaps democracy is a product of social evolution - little more than a mere accident in the establishment of the U.S.My rating: 15 of 20 stars

Joshua Kurlantzick offers a fascinating look at the state of democracy throughout the world and offers some interesting perspectives on why he believes it is in retreat. Pointing to a very unlikely culprit, Kurlantzick goes into great detail and offers a very unique grasp on almost every region of the world with case studies to back up his claims. Malawi, Thailand, Ukraine, and Venezuela, among others, become interesting venues where the author exposes the current crises faced by each country and how these specific crises can impact the state of democracy. With all the unrest now in Thailand and Ukraine that we are now witnessing Kurlantzick's book becomes even more interesting. A very good read and extremely informative.

My rating does not reflect the authors talent, but my lack of knowledge of a lot of the subject matter. What I did understand was very interesting and thought provoking so that has to be good. This to me was very much a text book so If you like to learn and have your ideas challenged give it a go.

This is an excellent and far-reaching evaluation of newly democratizing countries, and the problems they encounter. Ultimately I think the question is, is "Western-style democracy" right for everywhere? And the answer has to be, only if conditions are the same everywhere, which they aren't. Very accessibly written and compelling argument.

Very timely book on foreign affairs. Reads somewhat like a research paper. I recommend to anyone interested in the health of modern Democracies.

In his book, Kurlantzick was reporting the apparent failures of some democratic regimes. However, discontent with democracy might inspire ambitious political leaders to produce new authoritarian alternatives, leading to democracy retreat or reversal.Kurlantzick's report of democratic failings had been anticipated by Samuel Huntington. Democratic consolidation was by no means simple and easy. According to him, 'Disillusionment and the lowered expectations it produces are the foundation of democratic stability. Democracies become consolidated when people learn that democracy is a solution to the problem of tyranny, but not necessarily to anything else.'

Certainly covers an important issue; not sure the author dug deep enough.

thanks. Pretty good