ABSTRACT
By any standard, the spread of belief in democracy since World War II, especially in the most recent period, is impressive, but the difficulties often experienced in putting the belief into practice cast a cautionary shadow over prospects for worldwide democratization. In view of the manifold problems that may arise in the transition, and of the different paths it may take, analysts have often recognized the futility of adopting a single universally applicable formula to account for democratization. The transition to democracy in Spain offers a valuable case study of the role of civil society in enabling a transition to democracy. Despite the remarkable progress of democratization in Western Europe, it would be premature to suppose that democracy faces no remaining challenges there. The same phenomenon of imitation, amplified by modern media of communication, helps explain the spread of democratic sentiments in central and Eastern Europe.
