This Book Is The First To Use Modern Social Science Methodology Systematically To Explain Why Some Countries Are Democracies While Others Are Not. Why Does Democracy Sometimes Persist And Consolidate While Other Times It Collapses? The Treatment Shows That Whether Or Not A Society Becomes Democratic Depends On Several Factors. Questions And Answers -- Paths Of Political Development -- Our Argument -- What Do We Know About Democracy? -- Modeling Politics -- Democratic Politics -- Nondemocratic Politics -- The Creation And Consolidation Of Democracy -- Democratization -- Coups And Consolidation -- Putting The Models To Work -- The Role Of The Middle Class -- Economic Structure And Democracy -- Globalization And Democracy -- Conclusions And The Future Of Democracy. Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 381-399) And Index.