The break-up of the Soviet Union's external empire in Eastern Europe and the demise of the USSR itself destroyed the bipolar structure that had characterized world politics for almost 50 years. This book explores the emerging post-Cold War international system and its implications for the future expansion and consolidation of democracy. Bringing together both experts on international relations and scholars of democracy from Europe, North America and Asia, it examines the link between these two subjects. While a large literature has emerged on the effects of democracy on international relations, the authors of this volume aim to instead examine the other side of this relationship - the impact of the international system on the prospects for democracy.