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Rethinking democracy promotion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

BEATE JAHN
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Abstract

Despite the fact that democracy promotion is a major part of liberal foreign policies, the discipline of International Relations has not paid much systematic attention to it. Conversely, the study of democracy promotion is dominated by comparative politics and pays hardly any attention to the international system. This mutual neglect signifies a core weakness in the theory and practice of democracy promotion: its failure to comprehend the development of liberal democracy as an international process. This article argues that a thorough engagement with John Locke explains the failures of democracy promotion policies and provides a more comprehensive understanding of the development of liberal democracy.

Type
Research Article
Information
Review of International Studies , Volume 38 , Issue 4 , October 2012 , pp. 685 - 705
Copyright
Copyright © British International Studies Association 2012

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References

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