Up in the Clouds; Christopher S. Allen Reviews Democracy from Above: Regional Organizations and Democratization

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The transition to democracy by formerly dictatorial regimes in Eastern and Southern Europe and Latin America during the past decade and a half has been a significant and momentous development in the "third wave" of democratization. Scholars of comparative politics and international relations, however, disagree on the primary cause of these transitions to democracy.

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Much of the literature in comparative politics emphasizes internal or domestic factors, while tending to minimize external or international ones. On the other hand, most scholars of international relations emphasize external factors, such as the role of great powers, in helping the spread of democracy in these transitional countries.

In Democracy from Above, Jon C. Pevehouse takes issue with both sets of scholars. He argues that they fail to appreciate the role that regional organizations play in both the transition to and the survival of democracy in these formerly dictatorial nation-states. Furthermore, he contends that the role of domestic elites via their membership in …