The Future of U.S. Democracy Promotion: Strategies for a Sustainable Fourth Wave of Democratization

Abstract

U.S. democracy promotion has come under scrutiny in the last two decades. The recent third wave of democratization in the 1990s and 2000s has come to an end, leading to a shift towards authoritarianism. Meanwhile, American motives in democracy promotion efforts have been called into question. To stem the tide of shifts away from democracy and support the emerging ―fourth wave‖ of Middle Eastern transitions, the U.S. must be a major player in providing democratic assistance. However the U.S‘s current agenda for democracy promotion will not only damage the country‘s image, but, more significantly, the sustainability of democracy will be at risk.