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Democratisation's Third Wave and the Challenges of Democratic Deepening: Assessing International Democracy Assistance and Lessons Learned

Author: L Rakner, A Rocha Menocal and V Fritz
Date: 2007
Size: 62 pages (510 KB)

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Summary

What are the main challenges facing incipient democratic regimes in the developing world? How can donors best support democratisation in these countries? This paper from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) argues that incomplete democratisation processes and the predominance of ‘hybrid regimes’ pose serious challenges to the sustainability, capacity, responsiveness and effectiveness of democratic institutions. In order to be sustainable, democratisation impulses need to come from within. External actors have a positive role to play in efforts to strengthen democratic structures, but they cannot act as substitutes when domestic support is lacking.

Over the past two decades, democratisation processes have emerged in many low-income countries – in contradiction to earlier modernisation theory which held that democratisation was only possible above a certain level of development. A consensus has also developed within the international community that considerations of national sovereignty should not shelter a country’s internal political arrangements from outside observation or criticism. Thus, the international community is seen to have a legitimate interest in promoting and supporting democracy abroad.

Transitions to democracy have taken place in countries irrespective of levels of economic development and other structural conditions. However, the consolidation of democratic regimes has proven much more challenging, especially in poor countries.

• Democratisation in many countries of the ‘third wave’ where elections are held on a regular basis have stalled. These ‘hybrid’ regimes have not yet been able to consolidate their incipient democratic structures and formal democratic institutions often co-exist with other informal institutions in ways that are not always mutually reinforcing.
• Democratisation has not automatically brought about greater accountability, transparency or equality. The process through which decisions are made and power is exercised in hybrid regimes remains deeply flawed. As a result, there has been growing disillusionment about what democracy can achieve.
• Democratisation assistance is still not sufficiently adapted to the challenging contexts of democratisation processes which are often either stuck, or at risk of meltdown. It is too standardised, still frequently focuses on elections rather than on wider structural and institutional changes, and seeks results too quickly.

Donors need to take account of these challenges in their efforts to assist processes of democracy promotion and the strengthening of democratic institutions. Some key lessons are as follows:

• Democratisation efforts need to be driven from within in order to be successful and sustainable over time. Donors need to be both realistic and humble about what can be achieved from the outside.
• There is an inherent contradiction between the long-term processes of democracy and the need for international agencies to report on results.
• One of the main challenges is how to engage with hybrid regimes. Donors need to focus on strengthening accountability and oversight mechanisms and on supporting institutions that can counter-balance the power of the executive.
• Harmonisation and alignment in democratisation assistance urgently needs to be addressed, particularly in the context of hybrid regimes, where donor fragmentation and lack of country ownership further undermine already weak institutions.

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Source: Rakner, L., Rocha Menocal, A. and Fritz, V., 2007, 'Democratisation's Third Wave and the Challenges of Democratic Deepening: Assessing International Democracy Assistance and Lessons Learned', Research Paper for the Advisory Board to Irish Aid, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), London
Author: Lise Rakner , lise.rakner@cmi.no
Overseas Development Institute (ODI), http://www.odi.org.uk/