In our effort to meet these challenges, we must guard against the notion that democracy is inevitable. Our neighbors and we have to work hard to help countries consolidate democratic gains, because democracy is not just about elections. Democracy is also about what happens after the election. It's about the quality of government and the performance of political leaders and public institutions. It's about the capacity to run clean government and root out corruption, to provide police and other basic services effectively and efficiently, to show people an honest accounting of where their resources are being spent, and to give potential investors a level playing field and opportunity to understand what the risks and rewards might be.
Democracy is about having people believe they have a stake in democratic processes and institutions.
To assist in developing those bedrock institutions, we must foster stronger economic development, the second pillar of U.S. policy in the hemisphere. We have done this by promoting market mechanisms and greater regional economic integration. Trade with our Western Hemisphere neighbors accounts for almost 40 percent of the U.S.'s two-way trade, far outstripping our trade with Japan and the EU combined. Trade and investment fuel the engine of economic development throughout the hemisphere. First, we want to strengthen democracy in collaboration with regional partners.