Measuring Democratic Commitment

When it comes to backing democracy and human rights in international forums, the behavior of the world’s six most influential rising democracies ranges from sympathetic support to borderline hostility.

The development community now agrees with the democracy community that politics matters, but the two communities still differ in their understanding of what drives changes in institutions.

Observers who focus too much on elections have failed to grasp the maturation of Iranian civil society, even as hard-liners have come to dominate the government.