ABSTRACT
What are the prospects for democracy in Oceania-that vast region of the Southern Pacific made up of widely scattered islands and the continent of Australia? Professor Vanhanen’s important analysis provides an optimistic prediction that democracy will survive not just in the established democratic systems of Australia and New Zealand, but also in some of the world’s newest, smallest, and poorest nations of the Pacific Island region. Indeed, he cites the island states as examples that democracy can flourish in the difficult circumstances that third world nations face, and is not necessarily restricted to the relatively wealthy nations. He concludes that Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Western Samoa have remained more democratic than might be expected from their resource base, and the experience of other non industrialized countries. His findings confirm other research which has demonstrated that in terms of the democratic and peaceful transfer of power, the Pacific Islands rate well (Fry 1983; Larmour 1983, 1994; Crocombe et al. 1992).
