International Organizations and Democratic Backsliding

• In Event: International Cooperation and Democratic Backsliding

Abstract

After the third wave of democratization, pundits and scholars alike championed the power of international organizations (IOs) to encourage and secure transitions to democracy. Initial studies confirmed the role of IOs in assisting the consolidation of democratic transitions in the post-Cold War era. Yet, recent years are rife with examples of the reverse phenomena: countries in every region, even those with membership in democracy-supporting IOs, have seemingly experienced democratic backsliding. Why have IOs lacked effectiveness in halting democratic backsliding in member-states? Any answer must not only confront changing effectiveness over time but also heterogeneity: many members of IOs remain strong democracies. This paper engages the puzzle by revisiting the theories of IOs and democratization. It argues that a key mechanism – hand-tying of domestic elites – can be counterproductive when combined with pressures from mass publics. Absent domestic pressures, however, democratic commitments remain firm against purely elite pressures. We show, consistent with our argument, that IO membership is still associated with democracy and democratization in the post-World War II period, but this relationship has attenuated in the past twenty years in cases with populist political parties.

Authors

• Caileigh Glenn, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Jon C. W. Pevehouse, University of Wisconsin, Madison