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  • -Democracy Research News-

    No. 7, November-December 2004

    Welcome to Democracy Research News, the quarterly newsletter of the Network of Democracy Research Institutes (NDRI). The Network is a membership association of institutions that conduct and publish research on democracy and democratic development. It is also one of several functional networks associated with the World Movement for Democracy (www.wmd.org). This newsletter is one means of informing democracy scholars and others worldwide about the activities of and publications produced by NDRI member institutes. The newsletter will continue to evolve as the Network grows, and we invite readers' comments and suggestions of useful features they would like to see in future issues. Additional information about the Network and profiles of all member institutes are available at www.wmd.org/ndri/ndri.html. To submit comments or to inquire about joining the Network, please write to Thomas Skladony ().

    Subscribing to Democracy Research News
    Democracy Research News is distributed exclusively by e-mail. Subscriptions are available free of charge by writing to ndri@ned.org. We encourage readers to forward this newsletter to colleagues who may wish to subscribe. If you do not wish to receive Democracy Research News, send the message "unsubscribe" to ndri@ned.org and we will remove your name promptly.

    Contents
    1. News and Announcements
    2. New Publications and Recent Events by NDRI Members
       2.1 Africa
       2.2 Asia and the Pacific
       2.3 Europe
       2.4 Latin America and the Caribbean
       2.5 Middle East
       2.6 Russia and the Former Soviet Union
       2.7 United States and Canada



    1. NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

    The International Forum for Democratic Studies (United States, www.ned.org) hosted the first Washington Workshop for Think-Tank Managers from September 20-24 in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the workshop was to improve the administrative skills of senior managers of the Network of Democracy Research Institutes. Nine participants, selected through a competitive application process, spent a full week visiting many of the most important policy-research centers in Washington, including the American Enterprise Institute, Brookings Institution, Cato Institute, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Heritage Foundation, U.S. Institute of Peace, and others. They met with administrators responsible for many of the essential tasks of running a successful research center, including fundraising, budgeting, publishing, conference management, communications, and outreach. The group of visitors included Ololade Bamidele (Centre for Democracy and Development, Nigeria), Annie Chikwanha (Afrobarometer, South Africa), Olivia Takyi De-Graft (Ghana Center for Democratic Development, Ghana), Joseph Ezzat (Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, Egypt), Damba Ganbat (Academy of Political Education, Mongolia), Michael Gorny (St. Petersburg Humanity and Political Studies Center, Russia), Gordana Matkovic (Center for Liberal-Democratic Studies, Serbia), Vladan Simonovic (Center for Democracy and Human Rights, Montenegro), and Ayse Yircali (Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation, Turkey).

    The Center for Democracy and the Third Sector (CDATS, United States, www.georgetown.edu/centers/cdats/) is pleased to announce the second annual Visiting Faculty Fellowship competition for the 2005-2006 academic year. Fellowships will provide support for scholars, researchers, and specialists with experience equivalent to a Ph.D. to pursue research on all aspects of the relationship between, and interactions among, democratic governance and the third sector. The Center will award a maximum of two visiting faculty fellowships. The term of the fellowship is one academic year. Fellowships will typically begin no later than September 1 and end no earlier than May 31. Applications are due by January 15, 2005. For more information and an application packet, please visit www.georgetown.edu/centers/cdats/funding.htm.

    The Institute for Public Affairs (IVO, Slovakia, www.ivo.sk) has a new mailing address: Bastová 5, 81103 Bratislava, Slovak Republic. IVO's telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and Web-site address remain unchanged.

    2. NEW PUBLICATIONS AND RECENT EVENTS

    2.1 AFRICA
    Michael Bratton, Robert Mattes, E. Gyimah Boadi, the three principals of the Afrobarometer (www.afrobarometer.org), wrote Public Opinion, Democracy, and Market Reform in Africa (Cambridge University Press, 2004), a major study of what ordinary Africans think about democracy and market reform. The work draws heavily on Afrobarometer cross-national surveys in many sub-Saharan countries. More information about the book, including ordering information, can be found at www.afrobarometer.org/publications.html or http://titles.cambridge.org/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521602912.

    The Afrobarometer has added five new publications to its Working Papers series. The newest titles include "Sources of Ethnic Identification in Africa" by Alicia Bannon, Edward Miguel, and Daniel N. Posner; "State Building and Democratization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Forwards, Backwards, or Together?" by Michael Bratton; "The Power of Propaganda: Public Opinion in Zimbabwe" by Annie Chikwanha, Tulani Sithole, and Michael Bratton; and "Satisfaction with Democracy and Performance of the New Deal Government: Attitudes and Perceptions of Zambians," by Chileshe L. Mulenga, Annie Chikwanha, and Mbiko Msoni. The full texts of these and more than forty other Working Papers are available at www.afrobarometer.org/abseries.html#.

    The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD, Nigeria, www.cdd.org.uk) published an Alternative Poverty Reduction Strategy for Nigeria, a 130-page study based on a CDD research project that attempted to develop a viable alternative to the Nigerian government's official poverty reduction strategy. CDD also published Security Sector Governance in Africa: A Handbook, edited by Nicole Ball and Kayode Fayemi. Contributors to the volume examined the role of democratic governments both in providing security to citizens and in controlling the security sector.

    E. Gyimah Boadi, director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (www.cdd-ghana.org) delivered the seventh annual Public Services Commission Lecture on May 19. His lecture, entitled "The Search for a Developmental Public Service in Ghana: Challenges and Prospects," examined the role of the public service in Ghana's quest for good governance, national stability, and sustained national development. The full text is available at www.cddghana.org/documents/Public%20service%20lecture%20-%20gyimah-boadi.pdf.

    The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS, South Africa, www.cps.org.za) has published several new papers in its Policy: Issues and Actors series, including "Regional Integration and Regional Governance under the New African Initiatives: A Critical Appraisal" by Candice Moore and "From Authoritarianism to African Liberalism: the Ugandan Experience" by Shelton George. These and other papers in the series are available at www.cps.org.za/pia2.htm.

    Steven Friedman, CPS senior research fellow; and Caroline Kihato, University of the Witwatersrand, contributed an essay entitled "South Africa's Double Reform: Decentralization and the Transition from Apartheid" to Decentralization, Democratic Governance, and Civil Society in Comparative Perspective: Africa, Asia, and Latin America, a volume of essays edited by Philip Oxhorn, Joseph S. Tulchin, and Andrew D. Selee (Woodrow Wilson Center/Johns Hopkins University Press, 2004). For ordering information visit www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=wwcp.title&book_id=68555.

    CPS also published three Policy Briefs by Thabo Rapoo, senior researcher: "Rating the Effectiveness of Legislative Oversight Methods and Techniques at Provincial Level: the Views of Senior Public Service Officials," "Influential Policy Actors at Provincial Level in South Africa: Opinions of Senior Public Servants in Guateng and Mpumalanga," and "Constituency Service at Provincial Level in South Africa: What Role for the Provincial Legislature?" Visit www.cps.org.za/pb2.htm for the texts.

    Lyn Chiwandamira, a researcher at the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa, www.idasa.org.za), presented a paper entitled "Linking Parliaments with Regional Bodies" at a June meeting of the World Bank governance unit in Lusaka, Zambia. Her study examined the challenges facing the Pan African Parliament in creating a greater sense of African identity at a time when national and regional legislative bodies themselves are poorly understood by citizens. For more information write to Ms. Chiwandamira in Cape Town at Idasa's Centre for Governance in Africa.

    Idasa also recently published Understanding the Institutional Dynamics of South Africa's Response to the HIV/AIDS Pandemic by Ann Strode and Kitty Barrett Grant. The book examined and evaluated the political and community response to the HIV/AIDS problem in South Africa. The complete text is available at www.idasa.org.za/index.asp?page=Programme%5Fdetails%2Easp%3FRID%3D23.

    2.2 ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

    Felicity Pascoe, executive officer, Centre for Democratic Institutions (CDI, Australia, www.cdi.anu.edu.au) recently published "Reaching the Peak: Experiences for NGOs in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea." The paper, which evaluated NGO leadership and management programs conducted by CDI and the Australian Council for International Development in Papua New Guinea and in the Solomon Islands, is available at www.cdi.anu.edu.au/research_publications/research_NGOpeak_Pascoe2004.htm.

    Roland Rich, director of the Centre, presented "Typologies of Political Parties in the Pacific" at the Vila Conference on Political Culture, Representation, and Electoral Systems in the Pacific, organized by the Pacific Institute of Advanced Studies in Development and Governance, the University of the South Pacific; and the Institute of Policy Studies at the Victoria University of Wellington. More information about the conference and Mr. Rich's paper can be found at www.cdi.anu.edu.au/asia_pacific/Pacific_Pt%20Vila_ElectoralSysConf_Jul04.htm.

    The September-December 2004 issue of the Journal of East Asian Studies, produced and edited by the East Asia Institute (EAI, South Korea, www.eai.org.kr), included a cluster of articles on development and the developmental state in China, Japan, and South Korea. Visit www.rienner.com/jeasrec.htm for a table of contents and ordering information.

    On September 16-17, the Institute for National Policy Research (INPR, Taiwan, www.inpr.org.tw), Pacific Forum, Institute for Strategic and Development Studies, and Institut Français des Relations Internationales cosponsored a conference on "Asian Elections 2004: Regional Security Implications." The meeting included panel sessions on the recent elections in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan; the likely impact of the U.S. presidential election on Asian affairs; and how democratic developments in the region affect Asian security. The meeting's agenda is available at INPR's Web site.

    Recent issues of Taiwan Perspective, the electronic newsletter launched by INPR in January 2004, include "Challenges and Opportunities for Democracy and Security in East Asia" by Hung-mao Tien (September 24) and "The Legitimacy of Taiwan's Presidency under Election Litigation" by David W.F. Huang (September 7). All forty-six issues published to date are available at www.inpr.org.tw.

    A number of NDRI members participated in a conference on "The State of Democracy in Asia" that was held on October 21 in Bangkok. The meeting was sponsored by the Asian Barometer, a regional network for the study of democracy, governance, and development that is affiliated with Global Barometer Surveys (www.globalbarometer.org.) Yun-han Chu, director of the East Asia Barometer (www.eastasiabarometer.org) organized the event, which was hosted by King Prajadhipok's Institute (KPI, www.kpi.ac.th). Additional cosponsors included the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the Asia Foundation. Featured presenters included Thawilwadee Bureekul of KPI and Dugarsaren Oyuntsetseg of the Political Education Academy of Mongolia (APE, www.apemongolia.org). A conference agenda is available at www.kpi.ac.th/en/Conference%20agenda.doc.

    Robert B. Albritton (University of Mississippi) and Thawilwadee Bureekul recently published "Measuring Democratization in Thailand after Political Reform," a study of that country's democratic consolidation based on data from the 2001 and 2002 parliamentary elections. The full text is available at www.kpi.ac.th/download/Measuring%20Democratization.pdf. Albritton and Bureekul also wrote "Developing Democracy under a New Constitution in Thailand: A Pluralist Solution." The study is available at www.kpi.ac.th/download/DEVELOPING%20DEMOCRACY.pdf.


    2.3 EUROPE

    The Access to Information Program (AIP, Bulgaria, www.aip-bg.org) published Access to Information Litigation in Bulgaria: Selected Cases, Volume 2. Written and compiled by lawyers Alexander Kashumov and Kiril Terziiski, the book included an essay summarizing developments in access to information law, plus annotated excerpts from the most important court cases in the field in 2003.

    The Centre for Liberal Strategies (CLS, Bulgaria, www.cls-sofia.org) marked its tenth anniversary with an October 22-23 conference entitled "Thinking in Transition." Participants included CLS and other Bulgarian scholars, plus distinguished guests from Europe and the United States. A program is available at www.cls-sofia.org/events/index-en.htm.

    Ivan Krastev, CLS chairman and director of its political research program, and a team of Bulgarian researchers wrote "An Optimistic Theory about the Pessimism of the Transition." The report, commissioned by Association Global Bulgaria Initiative, examined the paradox of growing public pessimism and voter dissatisfaction, even as economic conditions continue to improve in Bulgaria. The full text is available at www.cls-sofia.org/publications/index-en.htm.

    Mr. Krastev also wrote Shifting Obsessions: Three Essays on the Politics of Anticorruption (Central European University Press, 2004), a study of how fighting corruption came to be a central concern of international financial institutions, academic experts, and local nongovernmental organizations, particularly in postcommunist countries. Visit www.ceupress.com/books/html/ShiftingObsessions.htm for ordering information.

    In September the Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS, Bulgaria, www.iris-bg.org) launched a year-long research project on "The Funding of Political Parties in Bulgaria: Improving the Quality of Democracy." The project will monitor the 2005 general elections and will develop policy recommendations for improving political finance practices in the country.

    IRIS scholars Ognyan Minchev, Marin Lessenski, and Plamen Ralchev contributed an essay, "Transatlantic Strategy for Black Sea Stabilization and Integration," to A New Euro-Atlantic Strategy for the Black Sea Region, edited by Ronald D. Asmus, Konstantin Dimitrov, and Joerg Forbrig (German Marshall Fund of the United States, 2004). The full text of the book is available at www.gmfus.org/apps/gmf/gmfwebfinal.nsf/$UNIDviewAll/9CBE5BC732DA608F85256EBA007F4CCE?opendocument&K1E73ABE9.

    In October the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy, and Development (CIPDD, Georgia, www.cipdd.org) published its Media Map of Georgia, a 60-page overview of the state of the media in Georgia today. The study, which focused on fifteen towns with highly developed print and broadcast media, identified key problems (including economic security, lack of professional staff, and government interference) and developed a set of recommendations for improving media operations. The full text is available at www.cipdd.org/uploaded/Media%20Map%20English.pdf.

    The Centre for the Study of Democracy and Culture (CDK, Czech Republic, www.cdkbrno.cz) organized a conference on "Victims of the Events of 1968-1969: Restitution, Yes or No?" on September 6 in Brno. The conference, which took place shortly after the 36th anniversary of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, addressed historical issues that remain current concerns in Czech society. Visit www.cdkbrno.cz/1968/ for a program and for summaries (in Czech) of key conference presentations.

    CDK recently published The Division of Labor in Society by Emíle Durkheim and The Idea of a Social Science by Peter Winch in Czech translation, the latest two titles in a series of more than 160 original studies and translations of classic and contemporary works of political theory, social thought, and comparative politics. Visit www.cdkbrno.cz/pdf/cdk2004.pdf for a complete catalog.

    On December 11 and 12 the Center for Policy Studies (CPS, Hungary, www.ceu.hu/cps) will sponsor a major conference entitled "Past and Present: Is There Anything New with Anti-Americanism Today?" The event, part of a three-year research project on this topic, will feature scholars from Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, representing political science, history, and other academic disciplines. (In October the Center had also hosted a lecture by Andrei Markovits, professor of political science, University of Michigan, entitled "European Anti-Americanism: Analysis of a Pedigreed Prejudice.")

    CPS published "From the Ground Up: Assessing the Record of Anticorruption Assistance in Southeastern Europe" by Martin Tisné and Daniel Smilov as part of its Policy Studies Series. The 73-page report summarized twenty case studies of anticorruption projects that often raised public expectations beyond what the projects could accomplish. The authors speculated that such failed reforms may have contributed to the loss of trust in political institutions in the region, and they recommended that future anticorruption reforms be connected to broader projects to improve democratic governance. Visit www.ceu.hu/cps/pub/pub_polstud_anticorruption.pdf for the full text.

    The Institute of Public Affairs (ISP, Poland, www.isp.org.pl) published "Third Cohesion Report of the European Commission: Conclusions for Poland" by Tomaz Grzegorz and Jan Olbrycht as part of its Analyses and Opinions essay series. The 8-page study examined the financial implications of the European Commission's 2004 Report on Economic and Social Cohesion for Poland and other new EU member states. ISP also published "The Reform of the Matura Exam: Evaluations and Recommendations" by Roman Dolata, El?bieta Putkiewicz, and Anna Wi?komirska. The ISP study of Poland's secondary-school comprehensive examination was undertaken at the request of the Ministry of National Education and Sport. Both papers are available at www.isp.org.pl/indexEN.htm.

    The Instituto de Estudos Politicos (IEP, Portugal, www.ucp.pt/iep/index.html) organized its XII International Meeting in Political Studies on July 7-12 on Cascais, Portugal. João Carlos Espada, director of IEP; Marc F. Plattner, director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies; and Adam Wolfson, editor, The Public Interest, convened the meeting of European and U.S. scholars, journalists, and public officials who discussed "Ideas of Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship" in panel and plenary sessions. For a transcript of the conference presentations visit www.ucp.pt/iep/uk/eep_2004_papers_uk.html#jceabertura.

    The Romanian Academic Society (SAR, www.sar.org.ro) published the Summer 2004 issue of the Romanian Journal of Political Science. The issue included two essays on Romania's local elections and three comparative papers on political transformations in postcommunist Europe.

    In August the Center for Liberal-Democratic Studies (CLDS, Serbia and Montenegro, www.clds.org.yu) published a major study entitled Corruption in Judiciary. In their foreword to the 248-page work, editors Boris Begovic, Bosko Mijatovic, and Dragor Hiber wrote that "the aim of this study is to examine the extent of judicial corruption, provide an institutional analysis of the causes and mechanisms of corruption and to suggest a comprehensive and effective programme for combatting corruption in the judiciary." The complete text is available at www.clds.org.yu/html/e0.html.

    The Center for Democracy and Human Rights (CEDEM, Serbia and Montenegro, www.cedem.cg.yu), in cooperation with the Swedish Helsinki Committee, organized a workshop on the "Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the Protection of Minority Rights in Montenegro" on September 23-25. CEDEM also conducted an October survey of "Political Public Opinion in Montenegro" on such issues and NATO and EU membership, and on trust in the government and in other public institutions. See the Center's July-September 2004 newsletter (www.cedem.cg.yu/nletter/no11_eng.pdf) for additional information.

    The Institute for Public Affairs (IVO, Slovakia, www.ivo.sk) recently published Party Government in Slovakia: Experiences and Perspectives, a collection of essays on the performance of political parties in Slovakia; and Reforms and Responsibility: Players, Impact, Communication, a study of the structural reform process and its impact on the lives of citizens. Both books were edited by Olga Gyárfásová and Grigorij Meseznikov. Tomás Valásek and Olga Gyárfásová edited the Easternization of Europe's Security Policy, whose contributors analyzed the impact of EU enlargement on regional security. And Marek St'astný and Barbora Gábelová edited Reshuffling the European Chessboard, an anthology on the changing intra-European and trans-Atlantic relationships. For more information visit www.ivo.sk/publikacie_en.php.

    Richard Rose, director of the Centre for the Study of Public Policy (CSPP, United Kingdom, www.cspp.strath.ac.uk/) published "Russian Responses to Transformation: Trends in Public Opinion since 1992" (CSPP, 2004), an analysis of how Russians have responded to the postcommunist political and economic transformation of their society. The research is based on thirteen nationwide opinion surveys, including a March 2004 study conducted after the Russian presidential election. With Neil Munro and William Mishler, Mr. Rose also wrote "Resigned Acceptance of an Incomplete Democracy: Russia's New Political Equilibrium" (CSPP, 2004). The team studied why so many Russian citizens accept a regime that is far from what most people want, and why so few see any real prospect for political change. Visit the CSPP Web site at www.cspp.strath.ac.uk/ for purchasing information.

    2.4 LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

    Marta Lagos, executive director of the Latinobarometro (Chile, www.latinobarometro.org), presented a report on "The Image of the United States in Latin America, 1995-2004" at the Miami Herald's Americas Conference, held on September 30 and October 1. This year's meeting focused on the U.S. presidential elections and the future of Latin America. Statistical and tabular data from the presentation are available at www.latinobarometro.org/Upload/Presentación%20Miami%20The%20Image%20of%20USA.pdf.

    The State of the Nation Program (Programa Estado de la Nacion, Costa Rica, www.estadonacion.or.cr) published its "Tenth State of the Nation" report in October. The report analyzed a number of key issues facing the country, including social equality, integration, nature and the environment, and the economy. A central chapter was devoted to evaluating political reforms that would help strengthen Costa Rica's democracy. Visit www.estadonacion.or.cr/Info2004/Paginas/indice.html for a synopsis of the report (in Spanish).

    2.5 MIDDLE EAST

    The Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies (ICDS, Egypt, www.eicds.org), in cooperation with the Saban Center for Middle East Policy of the Brookings Institution and the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID, United States, www.islam-democracy.org) organized an October 5-6 workshop in Cairo on "Islam and Reform." The event brought together Islamic experts from Arab countries, Europe, and the United States to discuss the parameters of reform within Islam, the potential participation of Islamist groups within democratic systems, and the relationship between U.S. foreign policy and nascent democratic groups in the Muslim world. For more information, visit www.eicds.org/en/activities/conferences/conference03.asp.

    Civil Society, the Ibn Khaldun Center's monthly magazine, contains news about this conference and other Center events and publications. It is available at www.eicds.org/en/publications/civilsociety/civilsociety.asp.

    The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI, www.idi.org.il) commissioned an opinion poll on "Positions of the Arab Population Regarding the Establishment of a Constitution for the State of Israel." The survey, conducted by the Yafa Research Institute, asked Arab Israelis about their views on the adoption of a written constitution for Israel and the most important rights guarantees they would wish to see included in such a charter. Visit www.idi.org.il/english/article.asp?ti=news&id=11112004143202 for the complete study.

    In September the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV, www.tesev.org.tr) published Democratization Reforms in Turkey, 1993-2004 by Ergun Özbudun and Serap Yazici. The monograph examined amendments to the 1982 Turkish constitution and subsequent legislation in the areas of civil liberties, political rights, the rule of law, and civil-military relations, including recent reforms intended to fulfill the Copenhagen political criteria for EU membership. The complete text is available at www.tesev.org.tr/projeler/demokratiklesme_kitap.pdf.

    On June 25-27, TESEV and the German Marshall Fund of the United States sponsored a conference in Istanbul entitled "The Atlantic Alliance at a New Crossroads." The meeting, which preceded the Istanbul NATO summit, focused not only on security and strategic issues but also on how the West can promote democracy in the greater Middle East. Among the senior Turkish and foreign leaders who participated were Tayyip Erdogan, prime minister; Abdullah Gul, foreign minister; the presidents of Georgia and Azerbaijan; and elected officials from Europe and the United States. For a conference summary visit www.tesev.org.tr/eng/events/atlantic_alliance.php. Papers prepared for the conference and available on the Internet include "Democracy and Human Development in the Broader Middle East: A Transatlantic Strategy for Partnership" (www.gmfus.org/Apps/GMF/GMFWebFinal.nsf/48A527D9949584F885256EBA0077D44C/$File/GMF3928%20Istanbul%20Rep%20wcov.pdf) and "The Debate on Democratization in the Broader Middle East and North Africa: A Civic Assessment from Turkey" (www.gmfus.org/Apps/GMF/GMFWebFinal.nsf/BCE6BBDC26588DD085256EBD006A51FA/$File/Istanbul%20paper%20number%203.doc).

    On July 7-9, 2004 the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy (CSID, United States, www.islam-democracy.org) sponsored a conference on "Sharia and Democracy" in Abuja, Nigeria. The event brought together more than 300 government officials, academics, and democracy practitioners for panel sessions, round tables, and keynote presentations on the compatibility of sharia with democracy, globalization, and good governance. It also included working groups on economics, human rights, women's issues, and the legal system. A conference report is available at www.islam-democracy.org/conference_report_nigeria_jul04.asp.


    2.6 RUSSIA AND THE FORMER SOVIET UNION

    The Carnegie Moscow Center (Russia, www.carnegie.ru) published "The Impact of Russian Interest Groups on Russian Policy Toward Belarus," a Working Paper from the Center's program on Russian domestic politics that examined the influence of business firms and other interest groups in foreign-policy making. The complete text (in Russian) is available at www.carnegie.ru/en/pubs/workpapers/WP-2004-09-www.pdf.

    In October the Center also published "Russia and the European Union: To End and Begin Anew" by Timofei Bordachev as part of its Carnegie Briefing Papers Series. The Russian text is available at www.carnegie.ru/en/pubs/briefings/Briefing-2004-10-www-Bord%20final.pdf.

    The International Centre for Policy Studies (ICPS, Ukraine, www.icps.kiev.ua) organized an October 15 roundtable in Kiev entitled "The Quality of Party Platforms Influences the Quality of Political Competition." The session compared politics in countries like Ukraine, where political campaigns are driven by the personalities of candidates, with countries where political parties develop and compete on the basis of substantive policy platforms. For a brief account of the event, see the ICPS newsletter of November 1, available at www.icps.com.ua/doc/nl_eng_20041101_0251.pdf.

    The October 11 issue of the ICPS newsletter reported on a series of meetings that brought together local party leaders and representatives of nongovernmental organizations to discuss "What's Missing in Political Platforms?" The sessions were part of an ICPS project launched in 2003 to promote greater public involvement in analyzing, monitoring, and evaluating political party platforms in preparation for the 2006 national parliamentary elections in Ukraine. For more information visit www.icps.com.ua/doc/nl_eng_20041011_0248.pdf.

    In September ICPS completed a year-long project to help develop a policy research center in Kazakhstan. The project involved transferring such skills as policy analysis, management, fundraising, and others. For more information about this project, write to Volodymyr Nikitin at ICPS (vnikitin@icps.kiev.ua).

    Political Commentary, a monthly report published by ICPS in English and Ukrainian, reviews government activities and decisions. A summary edition is available for free at www.icps.kiev.ua/eng/publications/pc.html; the complete report is available for purchase at the same site. Also available is "ICPS 1994-2004," a report marking the first ten years of the Centre's operations. To order a free electronic copy, visit www.icps.kiev.ua/eng/about/tenth_anniversary.html.


    2.7 UNITED STATES AND CANADA

    Mark E. Warren, a faculty fellow of the Center for Democracy and the Third Sector (CDATS, United States, www.georgetown.edu/centers/cdats/), published "What Does Corruption Mean in a Democracy?" in the April 2004 American Journal of Political Science. The article developed "a democratic conception of corruption" to show why corruption in free societies usually indicates a deficit of democracy. More information on the project is available at www.georgetown.edu/centers/cdats/projects.htm. A summary of the article is available at www.blackwellpublishing.com/abstract.asp?ref=0092-5853&vid=48&iid=2&aid=73&s=&site=1)

    The Center on Democratic Performance (CDP, United States, http://cdp.binghamton.edu/) has added an important new primary resource to its Web site: the CIRI Human Rights Data Set. Compiled by political scientists David Cingranelli (Binghamton University) and David L. Richards (Educational Testing Service), the data set contains annual quantitative information on the human rights practices of 162 countries from 1981 to 2003. Included are measures of government respect for the physical rights of persons, rights of conscience, civil and political liberties, women's rights, and economic rights. To access, visit http://cdp.binghamton.edu/ and scroll down to CIRI Human Rights Data Set.

    The fall of 2004 marked the beginning of the tenth academic year of the Democracy Fellows Program of the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD, United States, www.democ.uci.edu). Launched in 1994, the interdisciplinary program in political science and sociology provides young scholars with the research and theoretical skills needed to understand and strengthen the democratic process in new and established democracies. Visit www.democ.uci.edu/cohorts.htm for more information on the program and a listing of current and former fellows.

    Russell J. Dalton, a CSD faculty member (and former Center director), recently published Democratic Challenges, Democratic Choices: The Erosion of Political Support in Advanced Industrial Democracies (Oxford University Press, 2004). The book chronicled the growth of distrust and cynicism among citizens in advanced democracies over the past forty years and the impact of this growth on governing and demands for political reform. For more information visit www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Politics/ComparativePolitics/ComparativePolitics/?view=usa&ci=0199268436.

    Recently published papers by CSD faculty members (all available at http://repositories.cdlib.org/csd/) include "How Political Parties Shape Democracy" by Ingrid van Biezen, "Judging Transition Justice: An Evaluation of Truth Revelation Procedures" by Marek Kaminski and Monika Nalepa, and "Institutional Foundations of Economic Transformations in Central and Eastern Europe, 1990-2000" by Nina Bandlj.

    On October 4-5 the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL, United States, http://cddrl.stanford.edu/) held a conference on "Promoting Democracy and the Rule of Law: EU and U.S. Strategies and Instruments." Papers presented at the meeting included "Europe, Transatlantic Cooperation, and Democratization" by Laurence Whitehead, "Democracy and Democracy Promotion as International Norms" by Michael A. McFaul, and "Do Sanctions Help Democracy? The U.S.-EU Records, 1997-2004" by Nikolay Marinov. The complete texts of these and other conference papers, plus additional related readings, are available at http://cddrl.stanford.edu/events/3942/.

    CDDRL-affiliated scholars Michael A. McFaul and Kathryn Stoner-Weiss edited After the Collapse of Communism: Comparative Lessons of Transition (Cambridge University Press, 2004), a collection of essays originally presented at a Princeton University conference marking the tenth anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union. More information about the book is available at http://cddrl.stanford.edu/publications/20728.

    The Center also published "Moving Up Out of Poverty: What Does Democracy Have to Do With It?" by Larry Diamond as part of its Working Paper series. Visit http://iis-db.stanford.edu/pubs/20669/Moving_Up_Out_of_Proverty.pdf for the full text.

    The International Forum for Democratic Studies (United States, www.ned.org) sponsored an August 13 discussion of "The State of Arab Liberalism: Implications for Democracy Promotion in the Middle East." The event featured Barry Rubin, director of Israel-based center, Global Research in International Affairs, and editor of the Middle East Review; Tamara Cofman Wittes, Brookings Institution; and Laith Kubba, National Endowment for Democracy. A complete transcript is available at www.ned.org/events/events.html#Aug1304.

    A Note of Thanks
    International Forum interns Sarah King and David Ben-Nun collected news items, checked facts, and helped to write this issue of Democracy Research News.