How the United States supports democratic development overseas.

• Author: Schulz, Keith

This article reviews United States democracy promotion efforts, and identifies the different governmental and non-governmental bodies involved in these efforts. The article focuses specifically on the efforts of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Government's primary foreign assistance agency, which has been working in the area of democracy and governance assistance for the past three decades. Finally, the article will look at one specific area of democracy and governance assistance--legislative strengthening--as an example of the specific methods and approaches by which USAID implements its democracy and governance assistance.

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In Canada, the majority of democracy promotion funds are currently channeled through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). (1) By contrast, a large number of different departments and agencies within the United States government, and non-governmental organizations outside of the government, contribute to U.S. democracy promotion efforts. This creates a complex, and sometimes confusing and overlapping mandate, among the different departments, agencies and organizations involved. This was not always the case. United States support for democratic development began in earnest more than three decades ago, first in certain countries in Latin America and then to support democratic transitions in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union following the collapse of communism. These early efforts were modest in scope and objectives. U.S. Government democracy assistance funding in 1990 .was little more than $100 million. Today it is well over $1 billion per year with a large percentage of that funding now going to democracy assistance efforts in the Middle East and Asia.

Democracy Assistance goes Mainstream

Under the administration of President George W. Bush, the United States made the support of freedom and democracy overseas a central foreign policy focus. In his Second Inaugural address, President Bush announced that "it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world." (2)

The Bush Administration views democracy assistance as a key element of its strategy to defeat terrorism. The Administration's Strategy for Winning the War on Terrorism links inequities in political participation and the lack of basic freedoms as a major cause of volatility leading to terrorism. By promoting basic human rights, freedom of speech, religion, assembly, press, an independent judiciary and other democratic rights, the United States can help address some of the key issues within countries that can breed discontent and lead to terrorism. (3)

There is, however, no one address within the United States Government for democracy and governance programs. One recent study of these groups and organizations identified over 20 such organizations currently operating in the democracy promotion field. (4) This number does not include the large number of for-profit consulting firms and professional associations that receive funding from U.S. governmental and non-governmental sources to implement democracy programs overseas.

Diversity of Democracy Assistance Providers

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) plays a major role within the U.S. Government in supporting democratic development and good governance overseas. USAID has spent well over $9 billion over the past two decades to promote democratic governance in more than 100 countries. One of USAID's four overarching goals is Building sustainable democracies. USAID's provides over $1 billion in annual funding for democracy and governance programs, the largest funder of such efforts within the U.S. Government.

The Department of State is also active in democracy promotion efforts overseas. The Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) within the State Department manages an annual portfolio of approximately $75 million for human rights and democracy programs. The Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), established in 2002 within the State Department's Bureau of Near East Affairs, has...