Democracy,confusion, or chaos: Political conditionality in Kenya |
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Authors: | Barbara Grosh Stephen Orvis |
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Institution: | (1) Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University, USA;(2) Department of Government, Hamilton College, 13323 Clinton, NY |
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Abstract: | We argue that the policy of conditioning all economic development aid on a process of democratization is a mistake. Good economic
policy should be rewarded for its own sake. The process of democratization is costly to participants, and forcing it prematurely
can lead to institutional collapse rather than development. Unclear definition of political conditionality has made donor
policies inconsistent and capricious. We make these arguments conceptually and then review the experience of one of the most
explicit cases of conditionality-induced “democratization”—Kenya. An aid cutoff stimulated the government to hold multiparty
elections for the first time in many years. Despite the apparent success, the human and economic costs have been high, and
the political changes less than donors hoped. |
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Keywords: | |
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