FACTORS OF FOREIGN AID EFFECTIVENESS IN DEMOCRATIZATION PROCESSES: DONOR MOTIVATION AND APPROACHES TO AID PROVISION

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of external assistance in promoting democratization processes, taking into account donor motivations, their ideological orientations, and the characteristics of recipient countries. It reveals how normative, strategic, and economic factors shape donor behavior and determine their approaches to providing aid. Two dominant approaches to supporting democracy are identified: the “political” approach, focused on the development of civil society, independent media, and transparent electoral processes, and the “developmental” approach, which emphasizes strengthening state institutions, transparency, accountability, and the rule of law, reflected in the concept of good governance. The study shows that the first approach produces notable effects in the electoral and participatory spheres, whereas the second contributes to enhancing institutional capacity. The analysis demonstrates that external assistance is least effective in strengthening the rule of law, judicial independence, and oversight of the executive branch due to resistance from political elites, for whom institutional constraints pose a direct threat to maintaining power and access to resources.