7. International Democracy Assistance In Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan: Building Civil Society from the Outside?

2002 ◽  
pp. 177-206 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Democracy Assistance

Democracy Assistance for Botswana: Maintaining the Status Quo in a Peripheral Capitalist Country

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-229
Author(s):  
Kebapetse Lotshwao ◽  
Robert Imre ◽  
Jim Jose
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Political Regime ◽  
Democratic Institutions ◽  
Capitalist Country ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
Democracy Assistance ◽  
Multilateral Institutions ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Cost

Given that Botswana is considered a stable democracy, the need for democracy assistance does not at first glance seem necessary. Yet, democracy assistance is an important feature of Botswana’s political regime. The rationale for democracy assistance is couched in terms of strengthening the country’s democratic institutions, enhancing the state’s capacity, and bolstering Botswana’s civil society. However, contrary to these stated objectives, this article reveals that democracy assistance serves the agenda of Western donor countries and certain multilateral institutions—an agenda concerned with keeping Botswana politically stable and its state institutions efficient so that the country is attractive to investors. This agenda is pursued at the cost of not making certain long overdue political reforms.

Promoting Democracy

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manal A. Jamal
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Democracy Promotion ◽  
General Level ◽  
Political Transitions ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Palestinian Territories ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Democracy Assistance ◽  
Donor Agencies ◽  
The Impact

Democracy aid has grown considerably since the end of the Cold War. In the late 1980s, less than US$1 billion a year went to democracy assistance; by 2015, the estimated total was more than $10 billion. Despite this overwhelming commitment to spreading democracy abroad, the results have been mixed, and in some cases, this aid has in fact undermined the longer-term prospects for democratic development. What factors account for these different outcomes? Why are democracy promotion efforts far more successful in some cases as opposed to others? Promoting Democracy answers these questions while also providing an often overlooked perspective - the perspective of those most directly affected by the impact of this assistance. By examining two primary conflicttopeace transition cases- the Palestinian territories and El Salvador- and drawing from over 150 interviews with grassroots activists, political leaders, heads of NGOs, and directors of donor agencies, Manal A. Jamal investigates how democracy assistance shaped the re-constitution of political and civic life. She examines these developments at a more macro, general level in terms of democratic outcomes and then at the level of civil society by tracing transformations in one social movement sector--the women’s sector--in each case. She argues that ultimately the pervading political settlements determined the different outcomes, and that democracy assistance mediated these processes. The book then expands the temporal and geographic aperture of the study by examining developments in the Palestinian territories following Ḥamas’ 2006 election victory, and then by investigating the impact of political settlements and the mediating role of democracy assistance in Iraq and South Africa during the start of their political transitions. Jamal challenges more simple accounts that rely on NGO professionalization to explain civil society outcomes and illustrates how pervading political settlements that govern political relations in these contexts ultimately determined the different outcomes. By providing a systematic analysis of how democracy assistance impacts civil society and broader democratic outcomes, she provides new ways of understanding the relationship between foreign aid and domestic political contexts and resolves key debates about the limits of democracy promotion in non-inclusive political contexts.

The Eastern partnership in Georgia: Europeanizing civil society?

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thijs Rommens
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Network Governance ◽  
International Context ◽  
Eastern Partnership ◽  
Governance Mode ◽  
Democracy Assistance ◽  
Eu Policies ◽  
Institutional Network ◽  
The Eu

Through the Eastern Partnership the EU specifically attempts to strengthen democracy in Georgia. Lacking strong conditionality, the EU has to rely on a different approach to democracy assistance, such as a network governance mode. The implementation of EU policies has led to an expanding institutional network where NGO inclusion has been strengthened. However, this form of network governance operates within the realities of the domestic political and international context, influencing its effectiveness and impact. Despite the increased involvement of NGOs in EU policies the role and impact of civil society within Georgian politics and society has remained limited.

scholarly journals German Political Foundations in Central Asia: Promoting Democracy Through Civil Society

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Chiara Pierobon
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Democracy Assistance ◽  
Political Foundations

The paper offers a critical analysis on the role of German political foundations as actors in democracy assistance and is aimed at detecting similarities and divergences in their operation with the civil society of the region. To this end, the article investigates the concrete programs implemented by two major German foundations – the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) - in Central Asia, with emphasis on the specific case study of Kyrgyzstan.

Democratizing dictators? Non-democratic regime conditions and the allocation of US democracy assistance, 1975–2010

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 436-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
James M Scott ◽  
Ralph G Carter
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
International Development ◽  
Regime Type ◽  
Democracy Promotion ◽  
Democratic Regime ◽  
Democracy Assistance ◽  
Agency For International Development ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Usa

As the USA initiated strategies of democracy promotion to support the spread of democracy, a key element involved democracy assistance. However, some states receive substantial commitments of US democracy aid while other states receive little or none, and the mix of democracy assistance varies in allocation between civil society and institutional channels. This study examines democracy aid allocation, focusing on the role of regime conditions on the targeting and composition of the aid. We disaggregate regime type to differentiate among non-democratic governments and argue that such differences affect both the amount of democracy aid and whether aid packages target government institutions or civil society channels. We theorize how these regime conditions shape allocations, controlling for donor interests and recipient features, and test our argument against US democracy aid allocations by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) from 1975 to 2010. We conclude with discussion of the implications of these findings.

The Effect of Civil Society Organizations and Democratization Aid on Civil War Onset

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 1095-1120
Author(s):  
Jessica Maves Braithwaite ◽  
Amanda Abigail Licht
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Civil War ◽  
Instrumental Variables ◽  
Civil Society Organizations ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Aid Allocation ◽  
Democracy Assistance ◽  
The Status ◽  
Instrumental Variables Approach ◽  
Civil War Onset

A growing literature identifies both situations where aid promotes peace and those where aid encourages violence. Specifically, research shows lower probability of conflict onset in democratizing states receiving high levels of democracy assistance. However, theorizing has overlooked important actors who have agency in spending such aid: civil society organizations (CSOs). We posit that the status of civil society within recipient states conditions the effect of democracy aid inflows on conflict probability. Using an instrumental variables approach to account for endogeneity between aid allocation and conflict propensity, we find that democracy aid is destabilizing when directed to environments where CSOs are weak and poorly connected to the regime and thus are less willing and able to seek change through peaceful means. When civil society is stronger and more institutionalized, however, larger democracy aid flows pose less threat.

scholarly journals Between a Rock and a Hard Place: International NGOs and the Dual Pressures of Donors and Host Governments

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Heiss ◽  
Judith G. Kelley
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Human Security ◽  
Democracy Promotion ◽  
Stanford University ◽  
Cambridge University ◽  
Democracy Assistance ◽  
International Ngos ◽  
China Model ◽  
Hard Place

Review of:- The Taming of Democracy Assistance: Why Democracy Promotion Does Not Confront Dictators. By Sarah Sunn Bush. (Cambridge University Press, 2015.)- Help or Harm: The Human Security Effects of International NGOs. By Amanda Murdie. (Stanford University Press, 2014.)- Civil Society under Authoritarianism: The China Model. By Jessica C. Teets. (Cambridge University Press, 2014.)

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