Democratization provides an in-depth investigation into the causes of democracy. The author analyses and compares data from 170 countries, in order to construct a compelling argument, concluding that democratization is closely linked to resource distribution. Vanhanen uses data concerning the state of democracy and drawn from the 1850s to the present day in order to analyze and evaluate the prospects of democracy in each country. His controversial conclusion - that the same explanatory variable appears to explain democratization satisfactorily in all parts of the world, in spite of significant historical and cultural differences between countries - provides theoretical grounds for political and social strategies intended to improve social prerequisites of democracy in the world. This invaluable reference tool will interest all researchers of democracy and democratization.