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_l.jpg "Is Democracy Worth It?")
Winter 2013: Is Democracy Worth It?
selected essays
In a process almost unnoticed by the rest of the world, Africa has become significantly more democratic since the early 1990s. Its transition toward political freedom offers both inspiration and cautionary lessons.
If Washington seems to get much less done than it once did, it is partly because it is trying to do so much more.
Recent history in the countries of the former Soviet Union suggests that the appetite for freedom may not be as strong everywhere as we assume.
One after another, arguments that non-Western countries are not “ready” for democracy have been upended by experience.
Afghanistan in Three Voices
Three Afghan women write about violence and shelter, the Taliban, and getting to vote.Africa's Long Spring
by Steve McDonaldIn a process almost unnoticed by the rest of the world, Africa has become significantly more democratic since the early 1990s. Its transition toward political freedom offers both inspiration and cautionary lessons.
The Gridlock Illusion
by R. Shep MelnickIf Washington seems to get much less done than it once did, it is partly because it is trying to do so much more.
Voting Against Freedom
by Joshua KuceraRecent history in the countries of the former Soviet Union suggests that the appetite for freedom may not be as strong everywhere as we assume.
Why Wait for Democracy?
by Larry DiamondOne after another, arguments that non-Western countries are not “ready” for democracy have been upended by experience.
in essence
A Fire’s Unseen Burns
THE SOURCE: “The Long-Term Impact of Physical and Emotional Trauma: The Station Nightclub Fire” by Jeffrey C. Schneider, Nhi-Ha T. Trinh, Elizabeth Selleck, Felipe Fregni, Sara S. Salles, Colleen M. Ryan, and Joel Stein, in Plos One, Oct. 2012.
Debating America’s Pivot
THE SOURCES: “The Problem With the Pivot” by Robert S. Ross, in Foreign Affairs, Nov.–Dec. 2012; “The Turn Away From Europe” by Josef Joffe, in Commentary, Nov. 2012; and “Asia’s New Age of Instability” by Michael Wesley, in The National Interest, Nov.–Dec. 2012.
Decoding Autism
THE SOURCE: “Autism and the Technical Mind” by Simon Baron-Cohen, in Scientific American, Nov. 2012.
Distracted Into Debt
THE SOURCE: “Some Consequences of Having Too Little” by Anuj K. Shah, Sendhil Mullainathan, and Eldar Shafir, in Science, Nov. 2, 2012.
Farewell to Football
THE SOURCE: “Unnecessary Roughness: The Moral Hazards of Football” by Benjamin J. Dueholm, in The Christian Century, Sept. 19, 2012.
Greatness and the Mere Politician
THE SOURCE: “Lincoln’s Constitutional Leadership” by Steven B. Smith, in National Affairs, Fall 2012.
Herders Uncowed
THE SOURCE: “What Tragedy? Whose Commons?” by Fred Pearce, in Conservation, Fall 2012.
India’s Billionaire Boom
THE SOURCE: “Where Do India’s Billionaires Get Their Wealth?” by Aditi Gandhi and Michael Walton, in Economic and Political Weekly, Oct. 6, 2012.
It’s Not the Science, Stupid!
THE SOURCE: “Climate Science as Culture War” by Andrew J. Hoffman, in Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fall 2012.
Manuscripts Illuminated
THE SOURCE: “What Is a Rare Book?” by Fred C. Robinson, in The Sewanee Review, Fall 2012.
Nanny Academies
THE SOURCE: “The Few, the Proud, the Infantilized” by Bruce Fleming, in The Chronicle Review, Oct. 8, 2012.
Nation of Imitators
THE SOURCE: “Copycat China” by Yu Hua, in Prospect, Sept. 2012.
Television’s New Golden Age
THE SOURCE: “Storied TV: Cable Is the New Novel” by Thomas Doherty, in The Chronicle Review, Sept. 21, 2012.
The Great Management Debate
THE SOURCE: “The Management Century” by Walter Kiechel III, in Harvard Business Review, Nov. 2012.
The Hidden Roots of the Financial Crisis
THE SOURCE: “The Politics of Consumer Debt: U.S. State Policy and the Rise of Investment in Consumer Credit, 1920–2008” by Louis Hyman, in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Nov. 2012.
The Limits of Mentors
THE SOURCE: “Longer-Term Impacts of Mentoring, Educational Services, and Learning Incentives: Evidence From a Randomized Trial in the United States” by Núria Rodríguez-Planas, in American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, Oct. 2012.
The Surge Goes Awry
THE SOURCE: “Bureaucracy Does Its Thing, Again” by Frances Z. Brown, in The American Interest, Nov.–Dec. 2012.
The Wikipedia Way
THE SOURCE: “Military History on the Electronic Frontier: Wikipedia Fights the War of 1812” by Richard Jensen, in The Journal of Military History, Oct. 2012.
Whose Enlightenment Was It?
THE SOURCE: “Enlightenment in Global History: A Historiographical Critique” by Sebastian Conrad, in The American Historical Review, Oct. 2012.
A Fire’s Unseen Burns 
THE SOURCE: “The Long-Term Impact of Physical and Emotional Trauma: The Station Nightclub Fire” by Jeffrey C. Schneider, Nhi-Ha T. Trinh, Elizabeth Selleck, Felipe Fregni, Sara S. Salles, Colleen M. Ryan, and Joel Stein, in Plos One, Oct. 2012.
Debating America’s Pivot
THE SOURCES: “The Problem With the Pivot” by Robert S. Ross, in Foreign Affairs, Nov.–Dec. 2012; “The Turn Away From Europe” by Josef Joffe, in Commentary, Nov. 2012; and “Asia’s New Age of Instability” by Michael Wesley, in The National Interest, Nov.–Dec. 2012.
Decoding Autism
THE SOURCE: “Autism and the Technical Mind” by Simon Baron-Cohen, in Scientific American, Nov. 2012.
Distracted Into Debt
THE SOURCE: “Some Consequences of Having Too Little” by Anuj K. Shah, Sendhil Mullainathan, and Eldar Shafir, in Science, Nov. 2, 2012.
Farewell to Football
THE SOURCE: “Unnecessary Roughness: The Moral Hazards of Football” by Benjamin J. Dueholm, in The Christian Century, Sept. 19, 2012.
Greatness and the Mere Politician
THE SOURCE: “Lincoln’s Constitutional Leadership” by Steven B. Smith, in National Affairs, Fall 2012.
Herders Uncowed
THE SOURCE: “What Tragedy? Whose Commons?” by Fred Pearce, in Conservation, Fall 2012.
India’s Billionaire Boom
THE SOURCE: “Where Do India’s Billionaires Get Their Wealth?” by Aditi Gandhi and Michael Walton, in Economic and Political Weekly, Oct. 6, 2012.
It’s Not the Science, Stupid!
THE SOURCE: “Climate Science as Culture War” by Andrew J. Hoffman, in Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fall 2012.
Manuscripts Illuminated
THE SOURCE: “What Is a Rare Book?” by Fred C. Robinson, in The Sewanee Review, Fall 2012.
Nanny Academies
THE SOURCE: “The Few, the Proud, the Infantilized” by Bruce Fleming, in The Chronicle Review, Oct. 8, 2012.
Nation of Imitators
THE SOURCE: “Copycat China” by Yu Hua, in Prospect, Sept. 2012.
Television’s New Golden Age
THE SOURCE: “Storied TV: Cable Is the New Novel” by Thomas Doherty, in The Chronicle Review, Sept. 21, 2012.
The Great Management Debate
THE SOURCE: “The Management Century” by Walter Kiechel III, in Harvard Business Review, Nov. 2012.
The Hidden Roots of the Financial Crisis
THE SOURCE: “The Politics of Consumer Debt: U.S. State Policy and the Rise of Investment in Consumer Credit, 1920–2008” by Louis Hyman, in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Nov. 2012.
The Limits of Mentors
THE SOURCE: “Longer-Term Impacts of Mentoring, Educational Services, and Learning Incentives: Evidence From a Randomized Trial in the United States” by Núria Rodríguez-Planas, in American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, Oct. 2012.
The Surge Goes Awry
THE SOURCE: “Bureaucracy Does Its Thing, Again” by Frances Z. Brown, in The American Interest, Nov.–Dec. 2012.
The Wikipedia Way
THE SOURCE: “Military History on the Electronic Frontier: Wikipedia Fights the War of 1812” by Richard Jensen, in The Journal of Military History, Oct. 2012.
Whose Enlightenment Was It?
THE SOURCE: “Enlightenment in Global History: A Historiographical Critique” by Sebastian Conrad, in The American Historical Review, Oct. 2012.
book reviews
David and Goliath
by Martin Walker
INVISIBLE ARMIES:
An Epic History of Guerrilla Warfare From Ancient Times to the Present.
By Max Boot.
Liveright. 750 pp. $35Don’t Bet on It
by Steven Lagerfeld
THE SIGNAL AND THE NOISE:
Why So Many Predictions Fail—but Some Don’t.
By Nate Silver.
Penguin Press. 534 pp. $27.95Mere Anarchy
by Nick Gillespie
TWO CHEERS FOR ANARCHISM:
Six Easy Pieces on Autonomy, Dignity, and Meaningful Work and Play.
By James C. Scott.
Princeton Univ. Press. 169 pp. $24.95The Ties That Bind
by Sarah L. Courteau
FAR FROM THE TREE:
Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity.
By Andrew Solomon.
Scribner. 962 pp. $37.50Work and Love
by Charles Barber
TRIUMPHS OF EXPERIENCE:
The Men of the Harvard Grant Study.
By George E. Vaillant.
Harvard Univ. Press. 457 pp. $27.95
David and Goliath
by Martin WalkerINVISIBLE ARMIES:
An Epic History of Guerrilla Warfare From Ancient Times to the Present.
By Max Boot.
Liveright. 750 pp. $35
Don’t Bet on It
by Steven LagerfeldTHE SIGNAL AND THE NOISE:
Why So Many Predictions Fail—but Some Don’t.
By Nate Silver.
Penguin Press. 534 pp. $27.95
Mere Anarchy
by Nick GillespieTWO CHEERS FOR ANARCHISM:
Six Easy Pieces on Autonomy, Dignity, and Meaningful Work and Play.
By James C. Scott.
Princeton Univ. Press. 169 pp. $24.95
The Ties That Bind
by Sarah L. CourteauFAR FROM THE TREE:
Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity.
By Andrew Solomon.
Scribner. 962 pp. $37.50
Work and Love
by Charles BarberTRIUMPHS OF EXPERIENCE:
The Men of the Harvard Grant Study.
By George E. Vaillant.
Harvard Univ. Press. 457 pp. $27.95