Larry Jay Diamond | |
|---|---|
 Larry Diamond (2014) | |
| Born | (1951-10-02)October 2, 1951 (age 74) U.S. |
| Alma mater | Stanford University |
| Occupation(s) | Sociologist, scholar, researcher, educator |
| Known for | Political sociology, democracy studies |
Larry Jay Diamond (born October 2, 1951)[1] is an Americanpolitical sociologist and scholar in the field of democracy studies. He is theWilliam L. Clayton Senior Fellow at theHoover Institution, a public policy think tank on the Stanford campus working to advance freedom and prosperity, and the Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy at theFreeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI),Stanford University's main center for research on international issues. At FSI Diamond served as the director of theCenter on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) from 2009 to 2015.[2] He was succeeded in that role byFrancis Fukuyama[3] and then Kathryn Stoner.[4]
Diamond served as a founding co-editor of theNational Endowment for Democracy'sJournal of Democracy from 1990 until fall 2022.[5] As of August 2025, he co-chairs Hoover’s Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region Project (withJames O. Ellis, Jr.). At FSI, he founded the program on Arab Reform and Development and the Israel Studies Program, and he co-founded and leads its Global Digital Policy Incubator.[6][7]
Diamond was born inLos Angeles. He earned a B.A. in Political Organization and Behavior fromStanford in 1974, where he was active in student politics and journalism and co-chaired committees on admissions and teaching quality.[8] From 1974 to 1975 he conducted interviews in multiple countries on democratic change and development. He received an M.A. from the Food Research Institute in 1978 and a Ph.D. inSociology in 1980 at Stanford, working withAlex Inkeles andSeymour Martin Lipset.[9][10]
Diamond taught sociology atVanderbilt University from 1980 to 1985, researchingNigeria’s Second Republic and spending a year in Kano as aFulbright Lecturer.[11] His work on corruption and electoral fraud in Nigeria informed later publications, includingIn Search of Democracy (2016) andTransition Without End (1997).[12]
He joined Stanford’sHoover Institution in 1985. WithJuan Linz and Seymour Martin Lipset he co-led a 26-country study on democratization, resulting in theDemocracy in Developing Countries book series (1988–1995). This laid the groundwork for theJournal of Democracy, which Diamond co-founded with Marc F. Plattner. Together they also co-directed theInternational Forum for Democratic Studies at theNational Endowment for Democracy (1994–2009).[13]
Diamond has collaborated with Taiwan-based scholars, beginning with a 1995 international conference on democratization. He co-developed theAsian Barometer Survey and has written on Taiwan’s political development, favoring strong U.S. support for Taiwan’s democracy and security. He has also co-led Hoover’s “China’s Sharp Power” projects, producing studies on China’s influence operations and semiconductor security.[14]
He was the dissertation adviser forRegina Ip, formerSecretary for Security ofHong Kong during her years at Stanford.[15]
In 2022, Diamond joinedYermak-McFaul Expert Group on Russian Sanctions as an expert to work on elaborating and imposinginternational sanctions against Russia which invaded Ukraine.[16]
In early 2004, Diamond was a senior adviser on governance to theCoalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.[11]
His bookSquandered Victory: The American Occupation and the Bungled Effort to Bring Democracy to Iraq, published in 2005, was one of the first public critical analyses of America's post-invasion of Iraq strategy.[17]
Although a strong proponent of democracy, Diamond has emphasized that its survival depends on effective and accountable governance, respect for the rule of law, and responsiveness to citizens’ needs. In his 2023 Seymour Martin Lipset Lecture, later published in theJournal of Democracy (2024),[18] he identified power, performance, and legitimacy as central to democracy’s endurance.[19] He has argued that weak economic or political performance, such as corruption, crime, or insecurity, can erode public support, while effective governance can strengthen democratic commitment.[20]
Diamond’s writings, includingDeveloping Democracy (1999),The Spirit of Democracy (2008), andIll Winds (2019), have highlighted both the promise of democracy and the challenges it faces.[21] He has pointed to threats from authoritarian powers such as China and Russia, as well as democratic backsliding within established democracies. His work defines democracy broadly, requiring free and fair elections, political freedom, and pluralism.[22] In a 2002Journal of Democracy article, he warned about “hybrid regimes” or “electoral authoritarian” systems that mask autocratic practices behind democratic appearances. He has also criticized the failure to recognize such trends in countries including Russia, Venezuela, Hungary, and Turkey. His collaborative 2004 article with Leonardo Morlino, followed by a 2005 edited volume, offered a framework for assessing the “quality of democracy.”[23]
From his early studies of Nigeria’s First Republic, Diamond has underscored corruption, waste, and abuse of power as key causes of democratic breakdowns. He has argued that while economic development supports democracy, it is not an absolute requirement. Cases such as India, Costa Rica, and Botswana show that democracy can emerge in lower-income settings when supported by good governance, steady growth, limited inequality, democratic values, and a strong civil society.[24] He has warned that persistent misgovernance can push people toward authoritarian alternatives, particularly in “predatory states” where corruption is pervasive and wealth is extracted through exploitation rather than productive growth. In resource-rich countries, he has suggested distributing oil revenues directly to citizens to promote accountability.[22]
In policy discussions, including contributions to USAID reports, Diamond has called for tying foreign assistance to the quality of governance. He has supported the principle of “selectivity,” as seen in the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which conditions aid on democratic governance, investment in social development, and economic openness.[22] He has also urged the United States and other democracies to devote more resources to strengthening democratic institutions, media, and civil society abroad, along with promoting democratic values in foreign policy.[25]
A central theme in Diamond's work is democratic consolidation, examined inDeveloping Democracy: Toward Consolidation (1999) and later essays. He has argued that stable democracy depends on accountability,the rule of law, effective governance, andpublic trust. He has also written on hybrid or “electoral authoritarian” regimes, where elections coexist with repression, and withLeonardo Morlino developed a framework for assessing the “quality of democracy.”[26]
His regional studies cover Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. He has analyzed Nigeria’s democratic breakdowns, co-edited volumes on Taiwan’s democratic transition, and examined East Asian political culture through theAsian Barometer Survey, which he co-founded.[27] In 2024 he co-editedThe Troubling State of India’s Democracy, addressing challenges to institutional independence inIndia.[28]
Diamond has also studied the international dimensions of democratization. He has argued that foreign aid and policy should encourage accountable governance and has critiqued externally driven regime change, as in his bookSquandered Victory (2005). He has called for greater support of democratic institutions, civil society, and media worldwide.[29]
Since 2008, Diamond has written about the “global democratic recession,” linking democratic decline to authoritarian resurgence, polarization, and weakening institutions.[30] His bookIll Winds (2019) explored these themes, and his 2025 co-edited volume with Edward Foley andRichard Pildes addressed electoral reforms such as ranked choice voting in theUnited States.[31]
Diamond was named Stanford's "Teacher of the Year" in May 2007.[32] At the June 2007 commencement ceremonies he was awarded the Dinkelspiel Award for Distinctive Contributions to Undergraduate Education. Among the many reasons for Diamond to receive this award it was cited that he fostered dialogue between Jewish and Muslim students.[33]
In addition to his academic work, Diamond has served on advisory boards and task forces for theU.S. Agency for International Development, theCouncil on Foreign Relations, theFreedom House "Freedom in the World" survey, and the Council for a Community of Democracies.[3] He is also a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy and theAmerican Political Science Association.[2]
Diamond's work has been supported by fellowships and grants from the Smith Richardson Foundation, theMacArthur Foundation, theNational Endowment for Democracy, and theAgency for International Development. He was a Fulbright Fellow in Nigeria in 1982–83 and a POSCO Visiting Fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu.[1][9]
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