No Politics, Please! Why Democracy Promotion Suppresses Political Engagement

• In Event: Democracy Promotion and the Sources of Democratic Engagement

Abstract

Democracy promotion aims to improve political engagement by increasing efficacy – convincing citizens that their voice matters and that they are capable of political change. However, the evidence linking efficacy with higher engagement mostly comes from stable Western democracies. This paper challenges the unilateral positive effect of efficacy, showing that in skeptical political contexts, improved efficacy suppresses political engagement. I use an original field experiment in Southeast Ukraine (N=1,381) – a region plagued by nearby war and record rates of political skepticism – to explain why democracy promotion might have a negative effect on political participation. I argue that increasing individuals’ sense of efficacy without an accompanying change in the quality of institutions leads to political frustration and suppresses the reported willingness to run for office at the local and regional level. This research contributes to our understanding of the psychological mechanisms behind political disengagement in young democracies and identifies the limitations of democracy promotion programs among political skeptics.

Author

• Irina Soboleva, Duke Kunshan University