Five Rising Democracies: And the Fate of the International Liberal Order

by Ted Piccone

Overview

Shifting power balances in the world are shaking the foundations of the liberal international order and revealing new fault lines at the intersection of human rights and international security. Will these new global trends help or hinder the world's long struggle for human rights and democracy? The answer depends on the role of five rising democracies—India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, and Indonesia—as both examples and supporters of liberal ideas and practices.

Ted Piccone analyzes the transitions of these five democracies as their stars rise on the international stage. While they offer important and mainly positive examples of the compatibility of political liberties, economic growth, and human development, their foreign policies swing between interest-based strategic autonomy and a principled concern for democratic progress and human rights. In a multipolar world, the fate of the liberal international order depends on how they reconcile these tendencies.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780815725787
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	02/23/2016
Series:	Geopolitics in the 21st Century
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	250
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Ted Piccone is a senior fellow with the Project on International Order and Strategy and the Latin America Initiative in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings. His research is focused on global democracy and human rights policies; U.S.-Latin American relations, including Cuba; emerging powers; and multilateral affairs.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments ix

1 The Road to the Rise: How Democracy and Development Powered the Five 1

2 The International Human Rights and Democracy Order: Convergence and Divergence 31

3 India: A Reluctant Leader 71

4 Brazil: In Pursuit of Strategic Autonomy 97

5 South Africa: A Conflicted Mediator 129

6 Turkey: A Questionable Model 161

7 Indonesia: A Quiet Player 189

8 Paths to Convergence 219

Notes 249

Index 325

Editorial Reviews

Ted Piccone has produced a balanced, detailed, and hopeful analysis of the essential role these five emerging powers can play in addressing global demands for greater democracy and human rights. Europe's own contribution in this regard is well known. This book adds another untold dimension to the story and offers constructive ideas for building a stronger international consensus for universal values.
--Javier Solana, former European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy

We have learned from our own national experience the importance of building democracy at home and of living with democratic neighbors. Piccone documents well how these two factors have propelled states like Brazil, India, and South Africa forward and recommends pragmatic ways to strengthen the international order. His assessment of recent history is timely and welcomed.
--Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former President of Brazil

In the many years I have known Ted Piccone, I have found him to be a thoughtful commentator on the subject of democratic transition and consolidation. His observations and perspectives are based on a deep understanding of democratic theory and practice. His analysis is enlightened by that experience, and this book is a welcome addition to the discussion of democratic development at a time when it is under threat.
--Kim Campbell, former Prime Minister of Canada

From the Publisher