ABSTRACT
Democracy and freedom are the dominant trends in Western and East-Central Europe, in the Americas, and increasingly in the Asia-Pacific region. There is an even more dramatic freedom gap between majority Islamic countries and the rest of the world. Just as there are important regional variations in basic freedoms and political systems, there are also noteworthy distinctions between mono-ethnic and multi-ethnic countries with regard to freedom and democracy. Despite the vexing challenges posed by mass terrorism, there are convincing reasons to hope that the countries that embody the values of freedom and democracy can prevail. Democracy and market systems appeared resilient in the face of terrorist and extremist challenges. They remained so because of the strength they and their leaders derive from the sense of ownership citizens have in their governments. In 2001, a new insurgency by the Islamic-Albanian minority contributed to the deterioration of civil liberties in the democratic state of Macedonia.
