Western and Central Asian Perspectives on Democracy and Democratization (Research Brief)

This study purports to understand the success and failure of international democratization. It treats democracy promotion as a form of international influence carried out through the medium of communication, and draws attention to the growing ideological complexity of international life manifested in competing visions on the proper forms of governance and strategies for democratization. This research identified competing “models” of democracy promoted by the West and Central Asian states. It, then, examined the extent to what the views contained in these alternative visions resonate with the Central Asian peoples through a survey instrument administered in Almaty, Astana, and Bishkek. It is argued that the efficacy of democracy promotion is determined not only by its methods or political context in the target states, but also by the content of promoted ideas, and whether those ideas and values resonate with the democratizing societies and states.

Mariya Y. Omelicheva, of the University of Kansas, a was a 2011-12  Short-Term Travel Grants (STG) fellow.