From the Middle East to Latin America and Asia, many autocracies are taking gradual steps towards more democratic and accountable forms of government, or have become fully-fledged and well functioning democracies. The US administration is determined to consolidate political freedoms in many developing countries under its sphere of influence; indeed, expansion of democracy has become a cornerstone of American foreign policy.
民主正缓慢的向全世界各处传播。从中东到拉丁美洲和亚洲，许多专制政权或正逐渐采取步骤朝着更民主和更负责任的政府形式的方向迈进，或已成为羽翼丰满、功能完善的民主政体。美国政府决心运用其影响力在许多发展中国家强化政治自由；的确，民主的扩张业已成为美国对外政策的基石。