This book is a uniquely wide-ranging study of the meaning of democracy and the factors which determine its level. Drawing on data from all 132 sovereign states of the Third World, it first specifies the essential elements of democracy (the holding of elections to decision making bodies, and the maintenance of political liberties), and then tests theories suggested to explain its varying level through statistical analysis. Theories related to socio-economic conditions, demographic and cultural factors, and institutional arrangements are explored in a cross-national perspective.