Countries at the Crossroads

Freedom House has issued a report called "Countries at the Crossroads." Such a survey is critically important as these nations are on the fence as to whether they'll continue progress towards democracy or fall back towards autocracy.

The study finds that "pervasive corruption and weak judicial systems are major impediments to the development of democracy in transitional societies." The results of the survey are a bit of a downer, with Freedom House reporting that democratic reforms in the former Soviet Republics of the Ukraine and Georgia are in a state of erosion since first implemented after the collapse of the USSR.

Interestingly, those nations tetering towards more democracy, rather than less, are in the Middle East. Freedom House reports that the monarchical governments of Bahrain, Qatar, and Jordan are gradually introducing democratic processes in their nations, actions no doubt influenced by the United States' toppling of Saddam and promotion of democracy in Iraq, and the Middle East at large.