The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union led to a major change in United States foreign policy. For years, the United States supported tyrannical dictators in exchange for a stable anti-communist government responsive to American interests. The Cold War resulted in a new world order in which the United States is the sole global hegemonic power. In Eastern Europe in particular, the end of the Cold War ushered in an era of economic growth and a sharp increase in the number of liberal democracies. Although the world has seen a large increase in liberal democracies, a new type of regime called competitive authoritarianism has begun to emerge. According to Levitsky and Way, “in competitive authoritarian regimes, formal democratic institutions are widely seen as the primary means of obtaining and exercising political authority. However, existing leaders violate these rules so often and to such an extent that the regime fails to meet conventional minimum standards of democracy.” By characterizing these regimes as authoritarian and undemocratic, Levitsky and Way emphasize the importance of differentiating these questionable regimes from prototypical democracies. In their definition, they argue that all democracies have four inherent traits: "Executives and legislatures are chosen in open, free and fair elections; virtually all adults possess the right to vote, political rights and civil liberties , including freedom of the press, of association, of criticizing the government, are protected and the elected authorities possess real authority to govern, to the extent that they are not subject to the tutelary control of military or religious leaders. According to Levitsky and Way, these elements are fundamental to the prospects of democracy. ...... middle of article ...... in these competitive authoritarian regimes, strong connecting elements must be activated. Through social, economic and political connections, the foundations of democracy can gradually manifest and inevitably promote democracy. The ongoing revolutions in North Africa and the Middle East are proof that democratic change can occur with limited Western leverage and that connections are the underlying driver of permanent change. Works Cited Levitsky, Steven and Lucan Way. Competitive authoritarianism: hybrid regimes after the Cold War. New York: Cambridge UP, 2010. Print. Levitsky, Steven and Lucan Way. “International links and democratization”. Journal of Democracy 16.3 (2005): 20-34. Print.Levitsky, Steven and Lucan Way. “Linkage versus leverage: rethinking the international dimension of regime change.” Comparative Politics 38.4 (2006): 379-400. Print.