Thomas Carothers

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Thomas Carothers
Born (1956-06-28) June 28, 1956 (age 67)
EducationHarvard University (BA, JD)
London School of Economics (MSc)
EmployerCarnegie Endowment for International Peace

Thomas Carothers (born June 28, 1956) is an American lawyer and expert on international democracy support, democratization, and U.S. foreign policy.[1][2] He is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he founded and currently co-directs the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program. He has also taught at several universities in the United States and Europe, including Central European University, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and Nuffield College, Oxford.[3]

Carothers has served in various senior management positions at the Carnegie Endowment, including as the interim president of the Endowment in 2021, and as senior vice president for studies for many years.

Early life and education[edit]

Carothers received a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics where he was a Marshall Scholar and an A.B. summa cum laude from Harvard College. He speaks English, French, and Spanish.[4]

Career[edit]

Prior to joining the Carnegie Endowment in 1993, Carothers worked at the law firm of Arnold & Porter in Washington, DC. Before that, he was an attorney-adviser at the Office of the Legal Adviser of the U.S. Department of State from 1985 to 1988.[5] While serving at the State Department, he worked with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on democracy assistance in Latin America. This experience formed the basis for his first book, In the Name of Democracy: U.S. Policy Toward Latin America in the Reagan Years.[6]

His work has focused on international democracy support, including civil society development, political party assistance, rule of law assistance, and democratic transitions.[7] In addition to his research and writings, Carothers has consulted for and worked directly on democracy assistance programs for both private and public aid organizations.[8]

Carothers is the author of five books on international democracy and development assistance, as well as three edited volumes and a collection of his most influential essays. He has also written numerous articles for the Journal of Democracy, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and other publications. His writings have been translated into many languages.[9][10]

Bibliography[edit]

Books[edit]

  • Democracies Divided: The Global Challenge of Political Polarization (co-edited with Andrew O’Donohue), Brookings Press, 2019.
  • Development Aid Confronts Politics: The Almost Revolution (with Diane de Gramont), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2013.
  • Confronting the Weakest Link: Aiding Political Parties in New Democracies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2006.
  • Promoting the Rule of Law Abroad: In Search of Knowledge (editor), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2006.
  • Uncharted Journey: Promoting Democracy in the Middle East (co-edited with Marina Ottaway). Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2005.
  • Critical Mission: Essays on Democracy Promotion, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2004.
  • Funding Virtue: Civil Society Aid and Democracy Promotion (co-edited with Marina Ottaway), Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2000.
  • Aiding Democracy Abroad: The Learning Curve, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1999.
  • Assessing Democracy Assistance: The Case of Romania, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1996.
  • In the Name of Democracy: U.S. Policy Toward Latin America in the Reagan Years, University of California Press, 1993.

Selected essays[edit]

  • The Democratic Price of Countering Authoritarianism, Just Security, January 22, 2024[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Think Again: Arab Democracy". Foreign Policy. March 20, 2011.
  2. ^ James Traub (2008). The Freedom Agenda. Macmillan. p. 92.
  3. ^ Thomas Carothers, Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Expert Biography, archived from the original on 2011-01-17
  4. ^ Thomas Carothers, Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Expert Biography, archived from the original on 2011-01-17
  5. ^ Thomas Carothers, Gulf Research Center
  6. ^ Lester Langley (Winter 1992–1993). "In the Name of Democracy". International Journal. 48: 180–182. JSTOR 40202827.
  7. ^ Thomas Carothers, Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Expert Biography, archived from the original on 2011-01-17
  8. ^ Mr. Thomas Carothers, International IDEA, archived from the original on 2011-08-30, retrieved 2011-07-20
  9. ^ "El fin del paradigma de la transición". Este Pais. April 17, 2009.
  10. ^ "Tunisie: les leçons de l'effondrement d'une autocratie". Carnegie Moscow Center. January 14, 2011.
  11. ^ Carothers, Thomas (2024-01-22). "The Democratic Price of Countering Authoritarianism". Just Security. Retrieved 2024-01-28.

External links[edit]

Media related to Thomas Carothers at Wikimedia Commons