Democracy in the Third World

A discussion of whether or not democracy exists in the Third World.

The writer in this paper explains that the biggest problem facing the Third World countries is the lack of democracy rather than underdevelopment. The writer uses the example of Iraq as compared to South Africa and Mexico to illustrate the point.

Contents
Does Authoritarianism Promote Rapid Growth?
Democracy Advances Human Development
Where does Democracy Stand Globally?
Comparing Iraq with South Africa and Mexico
Conclusion
“This phenomenon was most dramatically illustrated in the recent history of Iraq, when an oil-rich country that had attained a reasonable standard of development until the 1980s, squandered its gains due to the unwise policies of its authoritarian ruler. On the other hand, countries like South Africa and Mexico are well on the path of sustained development due to their adoption of a democratic form of government in recent times. It is, therefore, important for every country and international institution to try and promote democracy in the third world countries, without trying to impose it from the outside.”