The Despot's Accomplice: How the West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy

by Brian Klaas

Overview

For the first time since the end of the Cold War, the world is steadily becoming less democratic. The true culprits are dictators and counterfeit democrats. But, argues Klaas, the West is also an accomplice, inadvertently assaulting pro-democracy forces abroad as governments in Washington, London and Brussels chase pyrrhic short-term economic and security victories. Friendly fire from Western democracies against democracy abroad is too high a price to pay for a myopic foreign policy that is ultimately making the world less prosperous, stable and democratic.

The Despot's Accomplice draws on years of extensive interviews on the frontlines of the global struggle for democracy, from a poetry-reading, politician-kidnapping general in Madagascar to Islamist torture victims in Tunisia, Belarusian opposition activists tailed by the KGB, West African rebels, and tea-sipping members of the Thai junta. Cumulatively, their stories weave together a tale of a broken system at the root of democracy's global retreat.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190668013
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/01/2017
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Brian Klaas is a Fellow in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics, where he focuses on democratization and political violence. He has advised several national governments and major international NGOs, including International Crisis Group, the Carter Center, and One Earth Future. Klaas received his doctorate from the University of Oxford. The author has written op-eds for The New York Times, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and Minneapolis Star Tribune. Starting September 2016, he now has a column in the Washington Post.

Table of Contents

1. Accessory to Authoritarianism
2. A Concise Biography of Democracy
3. Spooking Democracy
4. Tunnel Vision
5. The Savage Wars of Peace
6. The Curse of Low Expectations
7. Backing the Wrong Horse
8. Golden Handcuffs
9. The Unthinkable Olive Branch
10. Fool's Errands
11. The Carrot
12. The New Battleground
13. City on a Swamp
14. The Bear & the Dragon
15. The Resurgence of Democracy

Editorial Reviews

02/06/2017
This efficient and thought-provoking plea for the U.S. and other Western countries to prioritize democracy promotion is a must-read, especially with the pending development of President Trump’s foreign policy. Klaas, a fellow in comparative politics at the London School of Economics, is no armchair academic, and his analyses of policymaking challenges are informed by extensive, and sometimes dangerous, field work. This accessible read does not sacrifice depth for breadth as Klaas reviews the history of democracy before making convincing cases for his 10 principles for nurturing its expansion, which include “stop trying to improve democracy with war,” and “encourage new democracies to include the old regime during transitions.” He’s a vigorous opponent of Kissinger-style realpolitik, but he also advocates positions that he anticipates will be opposed by the left. The volume’s seriousness, appropriate given democracy’s global decline over the past decade, is leavened by gallows humor, as when he notes that a USAID program reported that Cambodia had exceeded expectations for democratic values—a year after an anti-democratic coup. Klaas is able to make his points simply and clearly, as in his observation that democracy, like free speech, must be protected regardless of whether it yields a preferred result. (May)

Publishers Weekly

This is an important book for all who want to understand and do something about the crisis of democracy in our turbulent world. Klaas tells a disturbing story, but he offers hope - and a dose of humor — while showing how the West can turn the tide, if it acts wisely and quickly. Essential reading.' — Walter Mondale, Former Vice President of the United States, Ambassador to Japan, and United States Senator

'For the last few decades, liberal democracy was on the march. Today, however, the world is going through a democratic recession. In this thought-provoking book, Brian Klaas points the finger at a surprising villain: the West itself. He argues that Western governments have too often been accomplices to authoritarianism; through sins of commission and admission. An enjoyable and challenging addition to the literature on democracy promotion.' — Mark Leonard, founder and director of the European Council on Foreign Relations

'This lucid, wide-ranging, up-to-date analysis of US democracy promotion offers penetrating critical insights as well as practical recommendations for doing better. Klaas is an engaging, lively guide through the complex thickets of democracy policy challenges and dilemmas.' — Thomas Carothers, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

"This efficient and thought-provoking plea for the U.S. and other Western countries to prioritize democracy promotion is a must-read... [Klaas] is no armchair academic, and his analyses of policymaking challenges are informed by extensive, and sometimes dangerous, field work... [He] is able to make his points simply and clearly, as in his observation that democracy, like free speech, must be protected regardless of whether it yields a preferred result."—Publishers Weekly starred review

"Written with precision and learning, with lively prose and dark humor. Klaas'proposals combine the conviction of an idealist with the experience of a technocrat. At a time when democracy is in retreat and the world seems headed for turbulence, this book can be the shot that revives this ailing patient." —The National

From the Publisher