Shame on those who link laissez-faire reform and democracy: it is true that Reagan and Thatcher are examples of democratically-elected leaders who privatized many government services, but you'd be hard-pressed to find other examples that compare.Take privatization of pensions/social security); the only two countries to accomplish this policy (advocated by Chicago School economists) were Pinochet's Chile (not a democracy) and Thatcher's UK--and this was quickly reversed once she left office.