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Schlesinger Working Group Reports

Since its inception, the Working Group has produced twelve publications; its most recent monograph report, Challenges to Freedom's March: Regional Democracy Trends and U.S. Foreign Policy, (need link) was published in January 2007. Inspired by President Bush's proclamation, "the trend is clear: in the Middle East and throughout the world, freedom is on the march," the Schlesinger Working Group embarked on a year long series that examined the status of democratic trends in Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia, with a final discussion focused on U.S. democracy promotion and Middle East democracy trends.

Despite democracy's solid record of advancement, group members cautioned that the U.S.'s idealistic perception of democracy as a universal goal is not always shared, especially in regions such as Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Democracy is often perceived by others more instrumentally as a tool to achieve objectives such as social justice or the redistribution of wealth and less as an intrinsically superior system of governance. Another challenge to the U.S. policy of democracy promotion is knowing when, how and where to engage in this effort. Participants generally doubted the effectiveness of using force to promote democracy. They also pointed out that promoting democracy in post-conflict environments or inherently unstable or weak states can be problematic because of a lack of security. Moreover, it was noted that the U.S. government is not always the best vehicle to pursue democracy promotion, particularly in an era when U.S. policies are facing widespread criticism. Concern was also expressed regarding the rise of a palpable antidemocratic undertow at the multilateral level led by Russia and China. By aligning with other autocracies, both powers are pushing back and threatening to gain influence on the issues of democracy and governance standards and in opposition to external interference in national internal affairs. Though this antidemocratic pole has yet to fully develop, it has gained enough momentum to threaten the global expansion and consolidation of democracy. Unless the United States is able to regain international credibility for enlarging democratic space, there is the potential for a global retreat from the current preferential trend for democratic governance.

Group Reports

  • Challenges to Freedom's March: Regional Democracy Trends and US Foreign Policy, 2007
  • Engaging Putin's Russia: Challenges and Opportunities for the West, 2005
  • Strategic Surprises for a New Administration, 2004
  • Unintended Consequences of an Expanded U.S. Military Presence in the Muslim World, 2003
  • Are We Taking China's Future for Granted?, 2003
  • Surprises, Challenges and Opportunities Since September 11, 2002
  • U.S.-European Relations, 2002
  • Russia's Southern Neighbors, 2001
  • A Turning Point for Turkey, 2001
  • Colombia at the Crossroads, 2000
  • Challenges for a New Administration, 2000
  • Indonesia in Transition, 1999