Does democracy promotion have a future?

Thomas Carothers, vice president for international politics and governance, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, DC. Mr. Carothers directs the Democracy and Rule of Law Project, which analyzes the state of democracy around the world and efforts by Western governments, non-governmental organizations and international institutions to promote democracy abroad. He is the author of five critically acclaimed books on democracy promotion, the latest of which is "Confronting the Weakest Link: Aiding Political Parties in New Democracies" (2006).