Deepening democracy by tackling democratic deficits

The last two decades of the 20th century saw a historic shift in the global spread of democracy. Some 81 countries—29 in Sub-Saharan Africa, 23 in Europe, 14 in Latin America, 10 in Asia and 5 in the Arab states—took steps towards democratization. Often this meant the overthrow of an authoritarian one-party regime, the introduction of multiparty elections or both—a major advance. But the recent mixed experience with democracy in these countries— and around the world—shows that the process of deepening democracy and making it work for people has barely begun.

Related Subject(s): Economic and Social Development