McFaul offers a spirited defense of democracy promotion as a necessary component of the United States' global strategy. He makes a compelling case that established democracies are unusually reliable partners...

Foreign Affairs

If democracy and human rights becomes a priority for the Obama administration, it may be because of the influence in internal debates of Michael McFaul, senior director for Russian and Eurasian affairs on the National Security Council. In his new book McFaul makes an unapologetic case for democracy and takes on the 'renaissance' of realists and their perennial claims about how supporting democracy hurts American interests.
For the foreseeable future, American leadership remains indispensable. That leadership, in turn, depends on officials like McFaul who believe that promoting democracy is in the American national interest, and in the interest of people living under dictatorships.

The Weekly Standard

Michael McFaul takes stock, as an academic, of the achievements and failures of previous US efforts in this area, and makes a strong case for putting democracy promotion back at the heart of U.S. foreign policy.... The analysis is robust and relevant.... McFaul has sounded the wake-up call.

Survival

Recommended.

Choice Reviews

Readers will find this a provocative, erudite and well written book. It is much stronger on policy recommendations for the Obama administration than on the political science of democracy promotion. Though partisan in argument, the author raises counter-propositions and in doing so gives the reader useful references to other views.

Europe-Asia Studies

Michael McFaul, Standford professor of political science currently serving as Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian affairs at the National Security Council, has written a cogent case for the proposition that people around the world would be better off under democracy and that promoting democracy serves American interests.

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