During the past 30 years, there has been a global surge of democracy. For most people of the world today, democracy is the prevailing source of political legitimacy. In 2002, 121 of the world's 192 sovereign states could be recognized as democracies in terms of the minimal global standard for an electoral democracy. This digest discusses: (1) the status of democracy in the world; (2) a globally applicable conception of democracy; (3) components of education for democracy; and (4) recommendations on how to teach democracy. (Contains 13 references and 3 Internet addresses). (BT)