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Reconsidering Democratization and Security: Linkages, Lessons Learned and Prospects for the Future

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One of the major controversial debates of our time concentrates on the question if and how democratization can contribute to maintaining or strengthening security and stability. While the democratic peace thesis, holding that democratic countries do not enter into violent conflict with one another, suggests a positive correlation between democracy and security, countries in democratic transition are often prone to conflict and instability. A booming concept in the 1990s, the idea of external democracy promotion today is widely contested. Measures range from supporting civil society actors and democratic thinking elites to military regime change.

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Internationale Politik

Spring Edition 2009: A new Transatlantic Partnership

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If Europeans could have voted in the 2008 US presidential election, they would have voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama. It is no secret that Europeans are greatly relieved to see the end of the George W. Bush administration and are thrilled to have Barack Obama as the new leader of the United States and the Western alliance.

But now that the initial euphoria has worn off and the hard work is beginning, the Europeans and their old ally across the Atlantic have plenty of lost ground to make up and a raft of burning crises to address. For all of the bruises that the transatlantic partnership suffered during the Bush years, the foundation of a solid alliance still exists and there are an array of common interests that demand multilateral solutions.

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