Thomas Carothers
Encyclopedia
Thomas Carothers is one of the most noted international experts on international democracy support, democratization, and U.S. foreign policy. He serves as vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
, where he founded and currently directs the Democracy and Rule of Law Program. He has also taught at several universities in the United States and Europe, including Central European University
, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and Nuffield College, Oxford
, where he is a senior research fellow.
Carothers is the sole author of five books on international democracy support, as well as two co-edited volumes and a collection of his most influential essays. He has also written numerous articles for the Journal of Democracy
, Foreign Affairs
, Foreign Policy
, and other publications. His writings have been translated into many languages.
His work has focused on the areas of civil society development, political party assistance, rule of law assistance, and democratic transitions. In addition to his research and writings, Carothers has consulted for and worked directly on democracy assistance programs for both private and public aid organizations.
Carothers previously worked at the law firm of Arnold & Porter in Washington, DC. Before that, he was an attorney-adviser at the Office of the Legal Adviser of the U.S. Department of State from 1985 to 1988. While serving at the State Department, he worked with the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) on democracy assistance in Latin America. This experience formed the basis for his first book, In the Name of Democracy: U.S. Policy Toward Latin America in the Reagan Years.
Carothers received a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and an A.B. from Harvard College. He speaks English, French, and Spanish.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is a foreign-policy think tank based in Washington, D.C. The organization describes itself as being dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States...
, where he founded and currently directs the Democracy and Rule of Law Program. He has also taught at several universities in the United States and Europe, including Central European University
Central European University
For other uses, see European University Central European University is a graduate-level, English-language university offering degrees in the social sciences, humanities, law, public policy, business management, environmental science, and mathematics...
, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is an all-graduate college and primarily a research establishment, specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. It is a research centre in the social sciences...
, where he is a senior research fellow.
Carothers is the sole author of five books on international democracy support, as well as two co-edited volumes and a collection of his most influential essays. He has also written numerous articles for the Journal of Democracy
Journal of Democracy
The Journal of Democracy is a quarterly academic journal established in 1990 and an official publication of the National Endowment for Democracy...
, Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
, Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel.Originally, the magazine was a quarterly...
, and other publications. His writings have been translated into many languages.
His work has focused on the areas of civil society development, political party assistance, rule of law assistance, and democratic transitions. In addition to his research and writings, Carothers has consulted for and worked directly on democracy assistance programs for both private and public aid organizations.
Carothers previously worked at the law firm of Arnold & Porter in Washington, DC. Before that, he was an attorney-adviser at the Office of the Legal Adviser of the U.S. Department of State from 1985 to 1988. While serving at the State Department, he worked with the United States Agency for International Development
United States Agency for International Development
The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...
(USAID) on democracy assistance in Latin America. This experience formed the basis for his first book, In the Name of Democracy: U.S. Policy Toward Latin America in the Reagan Years.
Carothers received a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics, and an A.B. from Harvard College. He speaks English, French, and Spanish.
Books
- Confronting the Weakest Link: Aiding Political Parties in New Democracies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2006.
- Promoting the Rule of Law Abroad: In Search of Knowledge, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2006.
- Uncharted Journey: Promoting Democracy in the Middle East (co-edited with Marina Ottaway). Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2005.
- Critical Mission: Essays on Democracy Promotion, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2004.
- Funding Virtue: Civil Society Aid and Democracy Promotion (co-edited with Marina Ottaway), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2000.
- Aiding Democracy Abroad: The Learning Curve, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1999.
- Assessing Democracy Assistance: The Case of Romania, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1996.
- In the Name of Democracy: U.S. Policy Toward Latin America in the Reagan Years, University of California Press, 1993.
Selected essays
- Looking for Help: Will Rising Democracies Become International Democracy Supporters?, Carnegie Paper, July 2011.
- Think Again: Arab Democracy, Foreign Policy, March 10, 2011.
- The Elusive Synthesis, Journal of Democracy, vol. 21, no 4, October 2010.
- Revitalizing Democracy Assistance: The Challenge of USAID, Carnegie Report, October 2009.
- Stepping Back From Democratic Pessimism, Carnegie Paper no. 99, February 2009.
- Democracy Assistance: Political vs. Developmental, Journal of Democracy, vol. 20, no 1, January 2009.
- The Sequencing Fallacy, Journal of Democracy, vol. 18, no 1, January 2007.
- The Backlash Against Democracy Promotion, Foreign Affairs, March/April 2006.
- The End of the Transition Paradigm, Journal of Democracy, vol. 13, no 1, January 2002.
External links
- Official Biography at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace http://www.carnegieendowment.org/experts/index.cfm?fa=expert_view&expert_id=9&prog=zgp&proj=zdrlzme
- Website of the Carnegie Democracy and Rule of Law Program http://www.carnegieendowment.org/programs/global/index.cfm?fa=proj&id=101