Democratic Openings and Country Visibility

Media Attention and the Allocation of US Democracy Aid, 1975–2010

Bibliographic Data

ID12885153
AuthorsJennifer M Scott (0000-0001-7415-9506, Texas Christian University, corresponding author), Charles M Rowling (0000-0002-5791-6613, University of Nebraska at Kearney), Timothy M Jones (Bellevue College), T Todd Jones (0000-0002-1405-6131, Bellevue College)
Year2019
Volume16
Issue3
Pages373-396
Publication date2019-10-10
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueForeign Policy Analysis (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1743-8586 • E-ISSN: 1743-8594
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/fpa/orz023
OpenAlexW2979511245
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited81

Late in the twentieth century, the United States embraced democracy promotion as a foreign policy priority, a central component of which involved allocating democracy aid to governments, political parties, and nongovernmental organizations around the world to support and encourage democratization. Nonetheless, as a scarce resource, democracy assistance is allocated selectively: some states receive substantial commitments while others receive none. As previous studies have concluded, democracy aid allocations are, in part, strategic bets placed on the likelihood of progress toward and consolidation of democracy, as donors consider cues that identify situations where democracy aid is likely to be most successful. We introduce the role of media coverage as a key factor in democracy aid allocations and argue that a shift toward democracy within a potential recipient state interacts with media attention to that state to generate cues for aid allocators. To gauge the agenda-setting and cueing effects of media coverage on democracy aid allocations, we examine US democracy assistance from 1975 to 2010, weighing the impact of media attention, democratic openings, and other factors related to recipient characteristics and US political, strategic, economic, and ideational interests on democracy assistance. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings

Democracy · Democracy promotion · Democratic consolidation · Democratization · Economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · State (computer science · International Development and Aid · Political Influence and Corporate Strategies · Social Media and Politics · Law · Public Administration

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