This course seeks to explain why some countries are democratic and others are not.   It examines the emergence of liberal democracy in the West, its collapse in Europe in the 1930s and Latin America in the 1960s and 70s, and the extraordinary wave of democratization that began in late 20^th Century.  It examines successful and failed democratization efforts in Latin America, East Asia, Africa, Southern and Central Europe, and the former Soviet Union.  At the same time, it asks why regimes in the Middle East, China, and elsewhere remain authoritarian, and it examines new forms of authoritarianism that have emerged in countries like Russia, Turkey, and Venezuela.  The course introduces students to several theories of democratization, including those focusing on economic development, inequality, culture, political institutions, natural resources, international influences, and political leadership.   It concludes by asking whether we are now entering a period of global democratic retreat—including, perhaps, in the United States.