The Foreign Service Journal, January 2009

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 39 • Take a more realistic approach to democracy promotion in the Middle East, while continuing to prod states in the region to open up their societies politically and eco- nomically. As the Obama administration takes office, U.S. democracy pro- motion policy appears to be at a crossroads. Stanford University’s Diamond observes that the goal “no longer enjoys consensus and there are big divisions within both parties on how much of this we should be doing.” While many leading Republicans and Democrats still consider de- mocratization essential for advancing U.S. interests in the world, there are disagreements over the pace, sequenc- ing and intensity of such efforts. President-elect Obama may have a built-in advantage as he engages with the world and considers policies that could expand and sustain democ- racy. The U.S. presidential cam- paign was widely watched and scrutinized globally, and the fact that it produced the country’s first African-American executive drew admiring comments from many corners of the globe about the U.S. system. On the other hand, Obama comes into office facing a financial crisis that has many nations ques- tioning the credibility of the United States andWestern Europe as stew- ards of good governance and market freedoms. The United States still possesses enormous influence and resources to reshape the global financial system, a task Obama is already moving to confront. So this is also a time of rare opportunity to revive Washington’s repu- tation as guardian of a message of freedom that has be- come muddled in translation. F O C U S President-elect Obama may have a built-in advantage as he engages with the world and considers policies that could expand and sustain democracy.