“Exporting” democracy, whether done militarily or peacefully, doesn’t work. Every locality and country has to develop its own political system, although wide local participation and democratization tend to go together. A narrow, authoritarian government is not a democracy, no matter how it is labeled by its rulers.
Advocates for local democracy, often members of civil society, typically “import” democratic ideas that strengthen their own goals. When combined with local democratic traditions such as village councils, imported ideas can be very powerful. My last book, Importing Democracy, tells the story of how “democratization NGOs” in South Africa, Tajikistan and Argentina combine imported ideas with local traditions to advance their cause. Since the book’s publication, however, it has become increasingly obvious that democracy is at risk in developed countries. Democratic Ideas imported from developing countries may become increasingly relevant to the survival of democracy in the developed world.
I was confirming publication details of your book, Nongovernments, when I came across this blog. What luck. I still use that book in my lectures and will continue to cite it in the upcoming second edition of my coauthored book on NGOs in international politics.
I am pleased to see you rethink the direction of democratization and democracy assistance. I look forward to reading more.
Just saw this. So glad you are using it. Please give me details about your book on NGOs in international politics. If you go to researchgate, you will see that I have reviewed another fairly recent book on what the authors call Transnational NGOs. I can also email you a copy if you are not on Researchgate.
Julie