John Adams' Hidden Hand Behind the Declaration

Writing about the Arab Spring in the New York Times in 2013, political scientist Sheri Berman said: "Establishing a stable democracy is a two-stage process. First you get rid of the old regime; then you build a durable democratic replacement." This comment struck me because it was presented as a given, a piece of received wisdom in the field of political science. But it seems to reflect a basic misunderstanding.