Examining Links: International Aid and Democracy Promotion

The connection between foreign aid and political liberalization is a complex one, and at play is a range of bargaining dynamics between donors and recipients. For instance, aid donors may claim publicly that they seek democracy promotion while accepting deals with authoritarian recipients for superficial political reforms. What accounts for the willingness of aid donors to exert diplomatic pressure only on some recipients and not others? What strategy can be used to nudge authoritarian aid recipients towards democracy? In his recently released book 'International Aid and Democracy Promotion,' Bann Seng Tan investigates the link between foreign aid and the promotion of democracy, using theory, statistical tests, and illustrative case studies.

We hosted Bann Seng Tan, Liam Swiss, and Bruce Bueno de Mesquita for a discussion on the significance of these ideas for policymakers with authority over foreign aid allocation. The discussion was moderated by Suyash Rai.

event speakers

Bann Seng Tan
Bann Seng Tan is an assistant professor of political science and international relations at Ashoka University. He has also taught at Bogazici University (Turkey), College of William and Mary, at Queens College (CUNY), and at Hunter College (CUNY). He researches the causes and effects of democratization. A secondary focus is on authoritarian reactions to disaster aid.
Liam Swiss
Liam Swiss is associate professor of sociology, Memorial University, St. John's, Canada. His research examines the role of bilateral aid in international norm diffusion, the politics of Canadian aid policy, and the causes and effects of women's political representation in the Global South.
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita is a political scientist, professor at New York University, and senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. He specializes in international relations, foreign policy, and nation-building. He is one of the originators of selectorate theory, and was also the director of New York University's Alexander Hamilton Center for Political Economy from 2006 to 2016.
Suyash Rai
Fellow, Carnegie India

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

event speakers

Bann Seng Tan
Bann Seng Tan is an assistant professor of political science and international relations at Ashoka University. He has also taught at Bogazici University (Turkey), College of William and Mary, at Queens College (CUNY), and at Hunter College (CUNY). He researches the causes and effects of democratization. A secondary focus is on authoritarian reactions to disaster aid.
Liam Swiss
Liam Swiss is associate professor of sociology, Memorial University, St. John's, Canada. His research examines the role of bilateral aid in international norm diffusion, the politics of Canadian aid policy, and the causes and effects of women's political representation in the Global South.
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita is a political scientist, professor at New York University, and senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. He specializes in international relations, foreign policy, and nation-building. He is one of the originators of selectorate theory, and was also the director of New York University's Alexander Hamilton Center for Political Economy from 2006 to 2016.
Suyash Rai
Fellow, Carnegie India

Examining Links: International Aid and Democracy Promotion

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