Description

Despite sweeping rhetoric about the global spread of democracy, the Bush administration has significantly damaged U.S. democracy promotion efforts and increased the number of close ties with “friendly tyrants.” Security interests, such as the war on terrorism, and U.S. energy needs have led the Bush Administration to maintain friendly, unchallenged relations with more than half of the forty-five “non-free” countries in the world.

The main U.S. presidential candidates have voiced support for democracy promotion, but not yet outlined plans to put it back on track.