Why did a clique of Mauritanian officers risk their lives to overthrow the autocrat they had served for twenty years, only to cede power to an elected civilian? And having won acclaim for their commitment to a process of democratic transition, why did most of these officers join a year later to overthrow the newly elected president? Had the international community been fooled by a military    More >

Despite the homogenizing effect of globalization, identity politics have gained significance—numerous groups have achieved political goals and gained recognition based on, for example, their common gender, religion, ethnicity, or disability. Are each of these groups unique, or can comparisons be drawn among them? What is the impact of globalization on identity politics? The authors of    More >

Why have so many attempts at democracy in the past half-century failed? Confronting this much discussed question, Jay Ulfelder offers a novel explanation for the coups and rebellions that have toppled fledgling democratic regimes and that continue to threaten many new democracies today. Ulfelder draws on an original dataset of 110 democratic failures spanning 1955–2007 and also presents    More >