The Democracy and Security Dialogue, a year-long research project gathering the empirical evidence on the relationship between democracy and security, found that liberal democracy, when allowed to consolidate and flourish, is the best option for achieving domestic and international peace and security. The project’s final report and a series of policy briefs covering a range of security-related issues from civil war to terrorism were commissioned by the Community of Democracies’ Permanent Secretariat and prepared by researchers with the Brookings Institution’s Foreign Policy program and the Institute for Security Studies. This research, which was complemented by consultations with policymakers, academic experts, and civil society in India, South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Poland, Sweden, and the United States, examines these linkages in substantial detail and makes specific recommendations for strengthening security through democratic means.