Suchergebnisse

"Through a case-study of Ghana, this chapter assesses EU democracy promotion policy in sub-Saharan Africa. The rhetorical vigour of the EU's stated policy is contrasted with the reality of meagre democracy support. Two hypotheses are proposed to explain this rhetoric-reality gap: (1) democracy assistance is at a low level where the EU has few economic or security interests; and (2) the EU is promoting a limited form of democracy, one compatible with neo-liberalism. Evidence from Ghana suggests that both have significant explanatory value. The low volume of assistance tends to confirm the first, while the content of (limited) democracy assistance provides support for the second. Conclusions are two-fold. One, the EU's motivation in promoting democracy in Africa is more instrumentally than normatively driven, and, two, democracy is narrowly conceived by the EU, more concerned with limiting state power than extending popular control." (author's abstract)

Exploring and updating the controversial debates about the relationship between democracy and development, this Research Handbook provides clarification on the complex and nuanced interlinkages between political regime type and socio-economic development. Distinguished scholars examine a broad range of issues from multidisciplinary perspectives across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Analysing the relationship between political regime types, including varieties of democracies and autocracies, and broader development indicators, chapters cover economic growth, poverty and human development, inequality, corruption, conflict, human rights, and environmental sustainability. The Research Handbook examines longstanding and unresolved debates in the field over the past 60 years, as well as investigating contemporary issues of rising global inequalities, the resurgence of authoritarian populism, and the crisis of liberal democracy.