Recent world events have brought to the public’s attention questions that have concerned politics experts and policy wonks for years: what is the relationship between democracy and development?

This collection of essays addresses a range of issues surrounding this question, including: What comes first, democracy or development? Is there a choice between democracy and stability? Can democracy be promoted from outside or should we focus on the promotion of democratic culture from within a country? Are different cultures equally compatible with democratic systems of government? Finally, should the promotion of democracy be seen as part of regular development cooperation and what are the respective roles of national governments, international organizations and civil society?

The highly experienced contributors to this volume suggest there is a positive relationship between the two: more democracy implies more openness and checks and balances, and more accountability and less corruption—all of which is conducive to sustainable development.

The book is based on a series of lectures organized by the Society of International Development (SID), the Netherlands.

Contributors include William Easterley (New York University and Brookings Institution, author of White Men’s Burden), Michael Edwards (Ford Foundation), Thomas Carothers (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace), Paul Collier, David, Kumi Naidoo (the World Alliance for Citizen Participation), Nico Schrijver, Kim Campbell (former Prime Minister of Canada and co-founder of the Club de Madrid) and others.