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Aftermath of Revolution
(New York Times) Michael Albertus and Victor Menaldo - While many had hoped for a democratic transition in countries swept by the Arab Spring, the sad fact is that many revolutions lead to renewed dictatorships. President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood are attempting to institutionalize an old-fashioned power grab in Egypt, while in Tunisia, the ruling Islamist party, Ennahda, has ridden roughshod over secularists. Since the end of World War II, there have been roughly 50 major revolutions that have either toppled autocratic regimes or led to significant political reform in "flawed" democracies. For those revolutions that have occurred under dictatorships, only about a third have resulted in transitions to democracy. Michael Albertus is assistant professor of political science at the University of Chicago. Victor Menaldo is assistant professor of political science at the University of Washington.