Source: Cornell University

Democracy assistance, once a bipartisan initiative, has come under threat in recent years. After a decade of unprecedented democratic growth in the 1990s, democracy appears to have stagnated in the beginning of the 21st century. Additionally, the Bush administration damaged the reputation of U.S. democracy promotion by associating it with American military interventions and the pursuit of selfish interests. Yet, Thomas Carothers explained at Cornell University’s Einaudi Center for International Studies, it would be a mistake to see the Bush administration’s foreign policy as an expression of excessive democracy promotion. President Bush spoke eloquently on democracy, but the administration in fact pursued a realist policy in the war on terror, maintaining close relationships with authoritarian governments and proving willing to violate human rights.

Despite the inherent difficulties, Carothers asserted, President Obama cannot and should not avoid democracy promotion. The idea of democracy is too intertwined with America’s self-image and too important in the world to be ignored. The Obama administration understandably wants to distance itself from Bush era policies, but the problem was how the Bush administration promoted democracy, not democracy promotion itself. In fact, President Obama has a unique opportunity to effectively promote democracy around the world, Carothers added. Obama’s inspiring personal story and the global excitement surrounding his election, as well as his inclination towards cooperation and moderation, provide him with tools for rallying global support around democracy. The administration has already made encouraging steps in promising to close Guantanamo Bay prison, but Carothers concluded that it will need to go farther and articulate a positive vision for democracy promotion.