Confronting the Weakest Link: Aiding Political Parties in New Democracies

Beset with persistent problems of self-interest, corruption, ideological incoherence, and narrow electoral majorities, political parties are the weakest link in many democratic transitions around the world. A large and ever-growing number of U.S., European, and multilateral assistance programs seek to help parties become effective pro-democratic actors. But given the depth of the problems, is success possible? C onfronting the Weakest Link is a pathbreaking study of international aid for political parties. Beginning with a penetrating analysis of party shortcomings in developing and postcommunist countries, Thomas Carothers draws on extensive field research to diagnose chronic deficiencies in party aid, assess its overall impact, and offer practical ideas for doing better. This critical analysis spans Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It sheds invaluable light on a major element of the contemporary challenge of democracy building, a subject now occupying center stage in the international policy arena.

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Confronting the Weakest Link: Aiding Political Parties in New Democracies

Beset with persistent problems of self-interest, corruption, ideological incoherence, and narrow electoral majorities, political parties are the weakest link in many democratic transitions around the world. A large and ever-growing number of U.S., European, and multilateral assistance programs seek to help parties become effective pro-democratic actors. But given the depth of the problems, is success possible? C onfronting the Weakest Link is a pathbreaking study of international aid for political parties. Beginning with a penetrating analysis of party shortcomings in developing and postcommunist countries, Thomas Carothers draws on extensive field research to diagnose chronic deficiencies in party aid, assess its overall impact, and offer practical ideas for doing better. This critical analysis spans Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It sheds invaluable light on a major element of the contemporary challenge of democracy building, a subject now occupying center stage in the international policy arena.

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Confronting the Weakest Link: Aiding Political Parties in New Democracies

Confronting the Weakest Link: Aiding Political Parties in New Democracies

by Thomas Carothers
Confronting the Weakest Link: Aiding Political Parties in New Democracies

Confronting the Weakest Link: Aiding Political Parties in New Democracies

by Thomas Carothers

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Overview

Beset with persistent problems of self-interest, corruption, ideological incoherence, and narrow electoral majorities, political parties are the weakest link in many democratic transitions around the world. A large and ever-growing number of U.S., European, and multilateral assistance programs seek to help parties become effective pro-democratic actors. But given the depth of the problems, is success possible? C onfronting the Weakest Link is a pathbreaking study of international aid for political parties. Beginning with a penetrating analysis of party shortcomings in developing and postcommunist countries, Thomas Carothers draws on extensive field research to diagnose chronic deficiencies in party aid, assess its overall impact, and offer practical ideas for doing better. This critical analysis spans Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It sheds invaluable light on a major element of the contemporary challenge of democracy building, a subject now occupying center stage in the international policy arena.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780870032820
Publisher: Carnegie Endowment For International Peace
Publication date: 09/10/2012
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 271
File size: 3 MB

About the Author

Thomas Carothers is vice president for international politics and governance at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and founder and director of the Endowment's Democracy and Rule of Law Project.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Jessica T. Mathews
Acknowledgments
Parties and Organizations
PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
1. The Standard Lament
PART TWO: THE CONDITION OF PARTIES
2. A Quick Global Tour
3. Diagnosing the Condition
PART THREE: THE ASSISTANCE RESPONSE
4. The World of Party Aid
5. The Standard Method and Beyond
6. Interests and Partisanship
7. The Question of Effects
8. Party System Aid
PART FOUR: CONCLUSIONS
9. Going Deeper
Notes
Bibliography
Index
About the Author
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

What People are Saying About This

Larry Diamond

"Carothers' masterful, searching account is critical and sobering, yet also sympathetic and constructive. Required reading for all interested in democracy promotion as well as those seeking to understand the vexing challenges facing political parties around the world."--(Hoover Institution, Stanford University)

Christopher Sabatini

"A timely, original study . . . Carothers goes well beyond the standard laments and prescriptions about the troubled state of political parties in the world to offer new insights and approaches that will stir scholars and provoke practitioners." --(American Society/Council of the Americas)

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