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Does aid support democracy?: A systematic review of the literature

Author

Listed:
  • Rachel M. Gisselquist
  • Miguel Niño-Zarazúa
  • Melissa Samarin

Abstract

This study draws on a rigorous systematic review—to our knowledge the first in this area—to take stock of the literature on aid and democracy. It asks: Does aid—especially democracy aid—have positive impact on democracy? How? What factors most influence its impact? In so doing, it considers studies that explicitly focus on 'democracy aid' as an aggregate category, its subcomponents (e.g. aid to elections), and 'developmental aid'.

Suggested Citation

  • Rachel M. Gisselquist & Miguel Niño-Zarazúa & Melissa Samarin, 2021. "Does aid support democracy?: A systematic review of the literature," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-14, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
  • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2021-14
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Sarantis Kalyvitis & Irene Vlachaki, 2010. "Democratic Aid And The Democratization Of Recipients," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 28(2), pages 188-218, April.
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    11. Marc Morjé Howard & Philip G. Roessler, 2006. "Liberalizing Electoral Outcomes in Competitive Authoritarian Regimes," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 50(2), pages 365-381, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lars Engberg‐Pedersen & Ida Marie Savio Vammen & Hans Lucht, 2024. "Can European foreign aid motivate people to stay in Africa? The root causes policy debate and irregular migration," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 42(3), May.
    2. Rachel M. Gisselquist & Patricia Justino & Andrea Vaccaro, 2024. "Do the principles of effective development co‐operation improve development outcomes? The case for clearer definitions and measurement," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 42(1), January.
    3. Leininger, Julia, 2022. "International democracy promotion in times of autocratization: From supporting to protecting democracy," IDOS Discussion Papers 21/2022, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    4. Hennessy, Jack & Mortimer, Duncan & Sweeney, Rohan & Woode, Maame Esi, 2023. "Donor versus recipient preferences for aid allocation: A systematic review of stated-preference studies," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).

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