Democracy from Above

Since the momentous events of the late 1980s, democratic transition has been a widely studied phenomenon. Most scholars who have investigated the causes and implications of the global trend to democracy have argued that domestic politics is the leading determinant in the success or failure of transitions to democracy. Jon Pevehouse argues that international factors, specifically regional organizations, play an important role in the transition to and endurance of democracy. Domestic elites use membership of regional organizations to advance the cause of democracy since these organizations can manipulate the costs and benefits of democracy to important societal groups such as business elites or the military. Six cases (Hungary, Peru, Greece, Paraguay, Guatemala, and Turkey) examine the causal processes behind the statistical association between regional organizations and democratization. These findings bridge international relations and comparative politics while also providing guidelines for policy-makers who wish to use regional organizations to promote democracy.

1. Democratization and international relations
2. Regional organizations, the transition to and the consolidation of democracy
3. The supply-side of democratization and initial tests
4. Regional organizations and the transition to democracy
5. Regional organizations and the transition to democracy: evidence from cases
6. Regional organizations and democratic consolidation
7. Regional organizations and the consolidation of democracy: evidence from cases
8. Conclusion