Book excerpt: The book focuses on the mutual implications of bureaucratic neutrality and democracy from the perspective of societies formerly under authoritarian regimes. It explores the impact of democratization on bureaucratic neutrality as well as the implications of neutral bureaucracies for democracy. Theoretical and conceptual dimensions of the subject are spelled out, and specialists discuss case studies from Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia, therefore compounding a broad panel of the challenges and opportunities confronting the democratization process throughout the world.