Stalled Democracy

In a detailed study of Tunisia, Bellin finds that some governmental development schemes that explicitly encourage the private sector can better enable private capital and labor to defend their interests... It contributes to our understanding of the relationship between development and democratization throughout the world. -Foreign Affairs Bellin's explicitly comparative, cross-national framework offers readily generalizable findings. -Perspectives on Politics This is a smart, elegantly written book rich in empirical detail and theoretical argument. -International Journal of Middle East Studies Laying out a clearly stated argument about stalled democracy (democracy stunted between autocracy and fully accountable government), Eva Bellin deftly elaborates the empirical underpinnings for the development of 'contingent' democrats whose level of support for democracy varies according to material self-interest. Both capital and labor, tied to the state's political and economic apron strings, find it difficult if not impossible to sever connections that serve to promote and protect their interests. Yet Bellin's sophisticated analysis leaves open the possibility that such democracy might be unstalled under conditions such as rapid growth, ideological change, or integration into the global economy. -John Entelis, Fordham University Stalled Democracy is a beautifully written book. EvaBellin's clear writing reflects not only style but clear thinking. From the outset, the reader knows precisely what is at stake here. -Joel Migdal, University of Washington In the excitement about transitions to democracy after the Cold War, many analysts didn't notice the countries that failed to live up to their promise. Some, like Algeria, descended into civil war but most sank into political paralysis. In Stalled Democracy, Eva Bellin has produced one of the first serious efforts to examine this phenomenon. Drawing on a clear and compelling examination of recent reform efforts in Tunisia, she shows that late, state-sponsored development may cripple the very social actors-capital and labor-which have served as the historical engines of democratization elsewhere. Bellin makes a persuasive case that we must reconsider the received wisdom about development and democracy. -Lisa Anderson, Columbia University Those who wish to encourage democracy in places like Saudi Arabia and Syria had better read Bellin to understand some of the conditions under which the relevant social forces may promote such development. -Clement M. Henry, The University of Texas at Austin