ABSTRACT
The end of the Cold War had a tremendous impact on countries around the world. Regime types and political units (national boundaries) fluctuated wildly. It was certainly a modern emancipation period that opened the window of opportunity for democratization in many hitherto authoritarian states. Indeed, the number of countries that introduced multi-party systems with or without the pressures of a popular uprising rapidly increased at the time. After two decades of trials, however, progress varies from region to region. While new institutions such as free and fair elections and a free and independent mass media took root rather quickly in Latin America and Eastern Europe, electoral fraud and outright repression have resurfaced in Africa and the Middle East.
