The strategies discussed in the Wilson Center Project were largely theoretical. Theorists observed that certain conditions such as economic prosperity and modern development usually existed in countries where democracy survived. In poor countries democracies typically had a life span of only eight years, Przeworski said. We couldn't wait for conditions to mature. The result, Przeworski said, was that predicting the downfall of dictatorships was nearly impossible.
Dictatorships die at different times for different reasons.
The transitions to democracy appear to be random events. Looking back, Przeworski said it was hard to theorize a world that was still changing. The Wilson Center Project was criticized for being too compromising and neglecting conditions important for the survival of democracy, such as economics and regional politics. Przeworski admitted mistakes were made but said he thought the Project was still influential. Only today the quality of democracy is central to our studies.