The Problem of Democracy

America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea

Oxford UP, 2022

15 min read

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America wants democracy in the Middle East, but the region’s voters don’t want America.

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For decades, the United States had ignored its own high-minded ideals by propping up dictators in the Middle East. With the 2010 Arab Spring, however, democracy took root in the region. Yet the results are jarring for those who hoped the Middle East would embrace US-style governance, writes professor Shadi Hamid. Islamists vaulted to power, and it became clear that the will of the people was to reject American influence. In this intriguing geopolitical study, Hamid notes that the West loves democracy in theory but not so much in practice – especially when it results in anti-American leaders.

Summary

American foreign policy often finds itself on the horns of the “democracy dilemma.”

US behavior toward the rest of the world has long hinged on a simple premise – that every country should exist as an American-style democracy. However, this ideal often runs up against an uncomfortable reality: Democratic elections can, and often do, lead to outcomes that Washington, DC, dislikes. This paradox has been evident in the many episodes of the United States propping up political allies who happen to be dictators. A classic example came in the 1970s, when Chilean voters elected a socialist, Salvador Allende. Then-US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s infamous reaction was, “I don’t see why we have to stand by and watch a country go Communist because of the irresponsibility of its own people.”

Decades later, the geopolitical threat to the United States is a new one, but the dilemma remains the same. Washington pushed for democracy in the Muslim world with the assumption that voters in those nations would elect secular or moderate leaders, rather than hard-core Islamists. The reality has played out differently...

About the Author

Shadi Hamid is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a research professor of Islamic studies at Fuller Seminary and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. His first book was Temptations of Power.

Shadi Hamid

The Problem of Democracy

America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea

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American foreign policy often finds itself on the horns of the “democracy dilemma.”

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