title: Protecting democracy: the relevance of international democracy promotion for term limits
Creators: name: Leininger, Julia
name: Nowack, Daniel
Publisher: name: German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE)
publisherIdentifier: https://ror.org/01t3zke88
publisherIdentifierScheme: ROR
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: democracy
subject: autocracy
subject: presidential term limits
subject: transnational governance
subject: democracy support

description: The question of whether and how democracy can be promoted and protected through
 international support has recently gained relevance. On the one hand, the withdrawal of
 NATO troops from Afghanistan has reignited a public debate on the limits of democracy
 promotion. On the other hand, the need for international democracy protection is growing
 due to an increase in autocratisation trends worldwide. DIE research shows that it is
 possible to effectively support and protect democracy. In this context, both the
 protection of central democratic institutions, such as term limits for rulers, and the
 promotion of democratic forces that pro-actively resist attempts at autocratisation are
 central. <br> Since 2010, autocratisation trends have been characterised by the fact that
 they often slowly erode achieved democratisation successes and consolidate autocracies.
 The circumvention and abolition of presidential term limits by incumbent presidents are
 part of the typical “autocratisation toolbox”. Term extensions limit democratic control
 and expand presidential powers. <br> Democracy promotion and protection play a relevant
 role in preserving presidential term limits, and thus in protecting democracy. They
 contribute towards improving the “duration” and “survival chances” of presidential term
 limits. The more international democracy promotion is provided, the lower the risk that
 term limits will be circumvented. For example, a DIE analysis found that a moderately high
 democracy promotion mean of $2.50 per capita over four years on average halves the risk of
 presidential term limits being circumvented. <br> Based on quantitative analysis and case
 studies, the following recommendations for international democracy promoters emerge: <br>
 • Use democracy promotion and protection in a complementary way. On the one hand,
 democracy must be promoted continuously, as the organisational and oppositional capacity
 of political and civil society actors can only be built up in the long term. On the other
 hand, democracy protectors must also react in the short term to political crises with ad
 hoc measures and diplomatic means. <br> • Democracy promotion is a risky investment that
 pays off. Whether it is possible to promote democracy in the long term and protect it from
 autocratisation depends above all on domestic forces and institutions. For them, too,
 political crises are open-ended. While inaction tends to play into the hands of autocrats,
 context-sensitive engagement at least offers the possibility of contributing to the
 preservation of democracy. <br> • Strengthen democracy protection through regional
 organisations. Regional organisations such as ECOWAS and the African Union offer regional
 political structures that can help with de-escalation and ensure credible commitments on
 the part of the incumbents. International donors could therefore coordinate with regional
 organisations in situations where democracy is at stake.
description: Briefing Paper, 21/2021