The Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies (WCED) at the University of Michigan is pleased to announce that it is the new publisher of Democracy and Autocracy, the newsletter of members of the American Political Science Association’s organized section “Democracy and Autocracy.” Previously published at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden under the name The Annals of Comparative Democratization, the newsletter moves to U-M under executive editors Dan Slater (WCED director, political science) and Robert Mickey (political science). Volume 18 of Democracy and Autocracy was published in February 2020, with WCED postdoctoral fellow Matthew Cebul as its guest editor.

The issue addresses the theme, “Is democracy promotion dead?” Contributing authors gathered at U-M on February 4 for a panel discussion that was moderated by Dan Slater. Jeff Conroy-Krutz (Michigan State University), Jennifer Raymond Dresden (Georgetown University), Thomas Flores (George Mason University), Erica Frantz (Michigan State University), and David Waldner (University of Virginia) all participated.

Video of the authors panel is posted on the WCED YouTube channel: "Is Democracy Promotion Dead?"

Volume 18(1) of Democracy and Autocracy can be dowloaded from the APSA section website or here. Future volumes will be available on the WCED website.

Contact: Derek Groom | T: 734.764.0351 | E: weisercenter@umich.edu


The Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies (WCED) promotes scholarship to better understand the conditions and policies fostering transformations from authoritarian rule to democracy. WCED’s mission will evolve as the world changes, but its core commitment to understanding the conditions for democracy and freedom in Europe, Eurasia, and beyond, will remain the guiding principle. Named in honor of Ronald and Eileen Weiser and inspired by their time in Slovakia during Ambassador Weiser’s service as U.S. ambassador from 2001-04, WCED is housed in the University of Michigan International Institute. For more information, visit ii.umich.edu/wced.

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