Assessing Democracy Assistance: The Case of Romania

Book

Assessing Democracy Assistance: The Case of Romania

This landmark study, an examination of U.S. democracy assistance efforts in Romania, is the first comprehensive analysis of the workings—and failings—of U.S. democracy assistance in one country.

By Thomas Carothers

Published on Jan 1, 1996

Source: Washington

In recent years, assistance aimed at promoting democracy abroad has become a major component of U.S. foreign aid and of the U.S. government's post-Cold War policy of seeking to enlarge the international community of democratic nations. Despite its rapid growth, however, democracy assistance remains poorly understood in practice, and its value is frequently questioned.

This landmark study, an examination of U.S. democracy assistance efforts in Romania, is the first comprehensive analysis of the workings—and failings—of U.S. democracy assistance in one country. Based on the author's extensive field research, the study provides widely applicable answers to key questions about the value, strategies, methods, and future of such assistance.

Advance Praise

“This is a thoughtful account of how projecting the values of one culture into another for the best of motives can go wrong, and it deserves to be read by all those committed to seeing East Europeans enjoying the life chances and liberties that we take for granted in the Atlantic democracies.”
—Europe–Asia Studies

About the Author

Thomas Carothers

Harvey V. Fineberg Chair for Democracy Studies; Director, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Thomas Carothers, director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, is a leading expert on comparative democratization and international support for democracy.

Recent Work

Commentary
When Do Mass Protests Topple Autocrats?
- Thomas Carothers, McKenzie Carrier
Article
The Trump Administration’s Tangled Talk About Democracy Abroad
- Thomas Carothers, McKenzie Carrier

Eastern Europe

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie India

Article
The War in Ukraine and its Implications on India’s Space Program
The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that India needs to establish a strong domestic space economy in order to weather geopolitical storms.
Konark Bhandari
Commentary
Beyond Business as Usual: On India and the EU
To counter the rise of isolationist, unilateral, and authoritarian forces, India and the Europe must strengthen their relationship beyond mere economic and transactional arrangements.
Constantino Xavier
Commentary
The Great Game Folio, March, 5, 2014
As the crisis in Crimea deepens, the formal arguments between Russia and the West are about two perennial themes in international politics—sovereignty and intervention.
C. Raja Mohan

More Work from Carnegie India

Article

The War in Ukraine and its Implications on India’s Space Program

The war in Ukraine has demonstrated that India needs to establish a strong domestic space economy in order to weather geopolitical storms.

Konark Bhandari

Commentary

Beyond Business as Usual: On India and the EU

To counter the rise of isolationist, unilateral, and authoritarian forces, India and the Europe must strengthen their relationship beyond mere economic and transactional arrangements.

Constantino Xavier

Commentary

The Great Game Folio, March, 5, 2014

As the crisis in Crimea deepens, the formal arguments between Russia and the West are about two perennial themes in international politics—sovereignty and intervention.

C. Raja Mohan