Put Your Money Where Your Mouth is? Normative and Monetary Democracy Assistance and Democratization

Over the last several decades, two seemingly contradictory trends have emerged: a rise in democracy assistance and a decline in democracy. What explains this disconnect? Although existing work provides some insight about democracy promotion’s mixed effects, more work is needed to understand the impact of additional, often understudied forms of assistance. I explore this puzzle on a panel of 136 nations from 1981-2015 by assessing how two types of democracy promotion – democracy promoting international nongovernmental organizations (DINGOs) and democracy aid – impact governance. By specifically examining their impact on nations’ policies, practices, and the disconnect between them, I also shed light on the recent expansion of hybrid regimes, which use democratic institutions to mask authoritarian practices. Results reveal the complex effects of democracy promotion, with DINGOs negatively impacting suffrage but democracy aid positively impacting civil liberties. Interactions examining these efforts’ combined effects additionally suggest that DINGOs’ effects vary by level of aid. 

Jessica Kim is Research Fellow of the WZB Research Professorship Global Sociology.

Please note that this event takes place in English only with no translation.

The event is part of the WZB Talks series.

The event will not be recorded.