Markets and Democracy in the 21st Century is a major research area of CFR's Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy initiative. Many viewed the end of the Cold War as the triumph of the Western model of liberal capitalist democracy. Today, however, that is no longer clear. China's rise has produced an alternative system of "authoritarian capitalism;" attempts to build enduring democratic institutions in Iraq and Afghanistan have faced deep challenges; and the economic crisis of recent years has rattled faith in open markets. The Civil Society, Markets, and Democracy initiative is examining issues surrounding economic and political openness and reform—and the United States' efforts to promote these goals—in the context of current debates.
With concise historical analysis and forward-looking prescriptions, Pathways to Freedom offers an authoritative and accessible look at what countries must do to build durable and prosperous democracies—and what the United States and others can do to help.