Bolstering your democracy and governance knowledge is both an important addition to your to-do list, and an easy assignment to check off as complete, thanks to the USAID Knowledge Services Center (KSC). You’ll find an abundance of books, USAID documents, and seminar summaries on assorted democracy and governance topics in its library and on its Web pages.

The options are many and readily available. So, get started: Borrow a bestseller or a classic from the KSC library; click through USAID’s online archive of materials that reflect 50 years of accumulated experience on the subject; or revisit a recent seminar in which experts tackled such pressing issues as business-related human rights and policing.

Here’s a sampling of the USAID Knowledge Services Center’s offerings to speed you on your way.

In the Library

Need an article, an electronic or print book, or a film on democracy and governance? A recent search of USAID‘s online library services catalog (http://usaid.sirsi.net/uhtbin/cgisirsi/x/x/0/49/) found hundreds of democracy and governance titles including:

• Bratton, Michael, and Nicolas van de Walle. Democratic Experiments in Africa: Regime Transitions in Comparative Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997. (JQ1879.A15 B73 1997)
• Constable, Pamela. Playing with Fire: Pakistan at War with Itself. New York: Random House, 2011. (DS389.C65 2011)
• Dahl, Robert Alan. Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1971. (JF518 .D32 1971)
• Diamond, Larry. The Spirit of Democracy: The Struggle to Build Free Societies throughout the World. New York: Times Books/Henry Holt and Co., 2009. (JC423.D56 2009)
• Huntington, Samuel P. The Third Wave: Democratization in the Late Twentieth Century. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1991. (JC421 .H86 1991)
• Ostrom, Elinor. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990. (HD1286 .O87 1991)
• Putnam, Robert D., with Robert Leonardi and Raffaella Y. Nanetti. Making Democracy Work: Civic Traditions in Modern Italy. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1994. (JN5477.R35 P866 1994)

In the Archive

A recent search of USAID’s historical online archives, known as the Development Experience Clearinghouse, of programmatic and technical materials (http://dec.usaid.gov) returned over 400 democracy-and-governance titles that date from 1963 to 2011. Among them:

• 2010 “Guide to Rule of Law Country Analysis: The Rule of Law Strategic Framework” by the USAID Office of Democracy and Governance, Rule of Law Division (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADT593.pdf)
• 2008 “Using Administrative Law Tools and Concepts to Strengthen USAID Programming: A Guide for USAID Democracy and Governance Officers” by Malcolm L. Russell-Einhorn and Howard N. Fenton of the IRIS Center at the University of Maryland (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADK999.pdf)
• 2008 “Improving Democracy Assistance: Building Knowledge through Evaluations and Research” by the Committee on the Evaluation of USAID Democracy Assistance Programs, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNADL231.pdf)
• 2005 “Democracy Rising” by Ben Barber of the USAID Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PDACF571.pdf)
• 2000 “Conducting a DG Assessment: A Framework for Strategy Development” by the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance’s Office of Democracy and Governance (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNACP338.pdf)
• 1990 “Democracy and Economic Growth” by Stephan Haggard of Harvard University and the World Bank for USAID’s Democratic Pluralism Initiative (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNABI449.pdf)
• 1985 “Democracy: Presidential or Parliamentary—Does It Make A Difference?” by Juan J. Linz of Yale University (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNABJ524.pdf)
• 1963 “Community Mobilization: Its Role in the Development of Democracy” by Paul W. Rose, USAID (http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNABI219.pdf)

In the Lecture Room

Want to know what the experts are saying? For nearly 10 years now, the annual seminar series has attracted panelists and audience members that include experts, academicians, and partners in the international development assistance community. Beyond addressing development challenges, the presentations and subsequent discussions have led to insightful cross-disciplinary conversations and new opportunities. Recent seminars related to democracy and governance include:

• July 27, 2011: “Business & Human Rights: Emerging Issues on the Development Horizon.”

The panel featured representatives from the Business & Human Rights Resource Center, Calvert Investments, Pennsylvania State University, the U.S. Department of State, and USAID.

• July 29, 2010: “Combating Trafficking in Persons: Fighting Slavery in a Globalized World”

The panel featured representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, American Bar Association, the Embassy of the Philippines, and USAID.

• July 7, 2005: “Exorcising Demons of the Past: Seizing New Opportunities to Promote Democratic Policing”

The panel featured representatives from USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance.

Contact the KSC at ksc@usaid.gov or go to the Knowledge Management home page to learn more about the USAID online library catalog, the Development Experience Clearinghouse online archive of USAID materials, and Seminar Series resources.