International democracy assistance has a “small but positive effect” on democratic development in partner states, and there is no evidence that it has a negative impact on democracy, according to new research.
The relatively modest impact reflects the “likely limited reach of democracy aid in authoritarian states and developing democracies,” says a new EBA report Effects of Swedish and international democracy aid (above).
Other findings
- The effects on democracy are stronger for aid that specifically targets the core building blocks of democracy, such as civil society, free and fair elections, media freedom and human rights.
- Democracy aid is more effective when it comes to supporting democratization rather than at preventing democratic backsliding.
- The study shows that Swedish democracy aid to the core aspects of democracy, allocated directly to various countries, has declined in recent years.
