Sheila Carapico is Professor of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Richmond and Visiting Professor of Political Science at the American University in Cairo. The author of Civil Society in Yemen: The Political Economy of Activism in Modern Arabia (Cambridge University Press, 1998), she has also researched and written about Yemeni, Egyptian and Arab political activism; American foreign policy in the Middle East; and the politics of international political aid.

• Introduction: democracy promotion in theory and practice; 1. Legal jurisdictions; 2. Electoral representation; 3. Patronizing women; 4. Denationalizing civic activism; Conclusions: political aid for justice, representation, equality, and freedom.

'Does political aid further transitions to democracy in practice? Carapico addresses this question for nine Middle East and North Africa (MENA) polities with projects as the unit of analysis … Carapico concludes that democracy promotion is not only 'inherently political', but also 'deeply paradoxical'. Summing up: recommended.' R. G. Mainuddin, Choice