The Truman Doctrine established a policy of containment against communist governments. People believed that the spread of communism would overthrow the democratic ideals our country believed in and followed. Once the policy of containment waned, a new policy of spreading democracy emerged. This new policy has both positive and negative effects on the “helped” nations and on our own. As of 2011, there were 115 electoral democracies, representing nearly sixty percent of democratic governments worldwide. In 1989, only 41% of all governments were democratic (Current Issues, 2011-12, p. 168). So, is spreading democracy in the US national interest? Or should our nation take a more passive approach? The textbook defines democracy as a system of government in which the people rule; govern many. A core belief of democracy is that ordinary people want to govern and are capable of governing themselves (Greenberg & Page, 2011, p.4). The textbook states that political thinkers attribute different components of democracy to its widespread appeal. First, democracy is believed to best protect human rights because it is founded on the recognition of the intrinsic value and equality of human beings. Second, democracies are most likely to produce rational policies because they can rely on shared knowledge with which to make decisions. Third, democracies last long and are more stable because their leaders are elected and answerable to voters. Fourth, democracy is considered the best government for economic growth and material well-being. Finally, democracy sets its citizens free, which brings about a state of mind that allows them to best develop their talents and skills. (Greenberg & Page, 2011, p.4). As stated, democracy is… at the heart of the paper… it should spread democracy. March 1998. Web. December 1, 2011. Greenberg, Edward S. and Benjamin I. Page. The fight for democracy. 10th ed. Boston: Longman, 2011. Print."Democracy and Human Rights." Current problems. Ed. Joe Geraghty. 35th ed. Alexandria: Close up, 2011. 168-81. Print.Lagon, Mark P. Democracy Promotion: The Whys and Hows for the United States and the International Community. Rep. Council on Foreign Relations, February 2011. Web. December 2, 2011. .Coyne, Christopher J., and Tamara Coffman Witte. Can we export democracy? Rep. CATO Institute, January-February 2008. Network. 2 December. 2011. .