Some politicians like to refer to cases in which the United States intervened successfully in order to establish democracy; Japan and West Germany after WWII are the favorite examples. However, according to the recent empirical research discussed in Chapter 8 (on democratic transitions), evidence shows that although attempts at the external imposition of democracy may promote some democratic-seeming reforms in the short run, they ultimately produce political instability in the target countries and are unlikely to lead to a stable democracy.

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The text states that recent empirical research discussed in Chapter 8 shows that attempts at the external imposition of democracy may promote some democratic-seeming reforms in the short run, but ultimately produce political instability in the target countries and are unlikely to lead to a stable democracy.

Some Politicians Like to Refer to Cases in Which the United