Projects

IDOS is a founding member of the research network "External Democracy Promotion" - a network of leading scientists whose research and policy advice deals with the successes and challenges of international democracy promotion worldwide.

The research and policy advice project “Protecting Democracy in times of Autocratization and Polarization” aims to identify international strategies and development policy options that protect and promote democracy, social cohesion and peace.

"What is it worth, democracy?", is a project that proves that the thesis of "The rest against the West" lacks empirical evidence. Value orientations in societies of the global South and of OECD donors play an important, and also beneficial role in effectively promoting democracy.

In the project "Supporting Sustainable Peace" we show that democracy promotion is a relevant component of successful peacebuilding.

IDOS research shows that the impact of programmes to support governance and democracy is better than their reputation.

The question of whether democracy makes a difference for the cohesion of a society and how democracy can be effectively promoted is addressed in the project "Social Cohesion in Africa".

Democratic foundations as a prerequisite for an effective and integrated implementation of the 2030 Agenda is the subject of research in the project “Implementing the Agenda 2030: Integrating Growth, Environment, Equality and Governance".

Publications

Harnessing the democratising potential of the EU’s foreign policy agenda
Vandeputte, Nathan / Fabienne Bossuyt / Danile Di Mauro / Christine Hackenesch / Niels Keijzer / Julia Leininger / Evelyn Mantoiu / Stefanio Panebianco / Yassin Said / Christopher Wingens (2024)
Mapping and Organizing Research on Dictatorships (M.O.R.D.O.R. project), Report

Spotlight on protest dynamics in Mozambique
Dworschak, Christoph / Salvador Forquilha / Karina Mross (2024)
The Current Column of 25 November 2024

‚Mutual learning’, um Demokratieförderung neu zu denken
Nowack, Daniel (2024)
Die aktuelle Kolumne vom 11.11.2024

Working with civil society in authoritarian contexts? The case of Niger
Gutheil, Lena (2024)
in: Megatrends Afrika Policy Brief 28 (October 2024)

Countering information pollution to protect democracy
Sinanoglu, Semuhi / Anita Breuer (2024)
Policy Brief (29/2024)

Strengthening social cohesion to mitigate human insecurity: Promise and peril
Leininger, Julia / Armin von Schiller / Charlotte Fiedler (2024)
in: Human Development Report 2023-24, Breaking the gridlock: reimagining cooperation in a polarized world, New York: UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), 163-166

The role of transnational democracy activists during Togo’s constitutional reform episode, 2017-2019
Nowack, Daniel (2024)
in: Sven Grimm / Stephan Klingebiel (eds.), Transnational cooperation – an explorative collection, Bonn: German Institute of Development and Sustainability, 40-45

Kenya's protests happened in every major urban center - why these spaces are explosive
Gutheil, Lena (2024)
published on theconservation.org, 27.06.2024

Could the first political group with a vision please stand up?
Koch, Svea / Niels Keijzer / Christine Hackenesch (2024)
The Current Column of 13 May 2024

The Republic of Senegal at a political turning point as President Faye takes office
Grütjen, Klaus (2024)
Policy Brief 12/2024

La République du Sénégal à un tournant politique: l’investiture du Président Faye
Grütjen, Klaus (2024)
External Publications

The dream of dictatorship
Mross, Karina
The Current Column of 24 April 2024

2024 – Asia’s bumper election year
Lorch, Jasmin
The Current Column of 4 March 2024

Security policy is not development policy
Leininger, Julia / Anna-Katharina Hornidge (2024)
Bonn: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), The Current Column of 21 February 2024

What works in democracy support? How to fill evidence and usability gaps through evaluation
Leininger, Julia / Armin von Schiller (2024)
in: Evaluation, first published 21.12.2023

The European Union’s governance approach to tackling disinformation – protection of democracy, foreign influence, and the quest for digital sovereignty
Kachelmann, Matthias / Wulf Reiners (2023)
in: L'Europe en Formation 396, 11-36

On the edge: delays in election results and electoral violence in Sub-Sahara Africa
Saibu, Ghadafi
Discussion Paper 19/2023

Civil society between repression and cooptation: adjusting to shrinking space in Cambodia
Lorch, Jasmin (2023)
in: Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs 42 (3), 395-420

The supply and demand of democracy in Africa today
Isbell, Thomas (2023)
The Current Column of 20 November 2023

Can public participation deepen democracy? Insights from Nakuru City in Kenya
Gutheil, Lena (2023)
in: Megatrends Afrika Policy Brief 18 (October 2023)

The (un)intended effects of EU development cooperation on democracy
Keijzer, Niels / Nathan Vandeputte (2023)
published on blogs.idos-research.de, 08.02.2023

Autocratisation: the end of the end of history?
Mross, Karina / Jörn Grävingholt / Julia Leininger (2023)
n: Annual Report 2021-2022 - German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), 14-18

International democracy promotion in times of autocratization: from supporting to protecting democracy
Leininger, Julia (2022)
Discussion Paper 21/2022

Identifying pathways to peace: how international support can help prevent conflict recurrence
Mross, Karina / Charlotte Fiedler / Jörn Grävingholt (2022)
in: International Studies Quarterly, 66 (1)

The impact of urbanisation on political regimes in Africa: A literature review
Gutheil, Lena (2022)
in: Megatrends Africa Working Paper 03 (December 2022)

Civil society participation in urban governance in Africa: supporting CSOs’ political voice for a transformation of citizen–state relations
Gutheil, Lena (2022)
Policy Brief 2022 05, 14.07.2022S (SWP, IDOS, IfW)

Protection against autocratisation: how international democracy promotion helped preserve presidential term limits in Malawi and Senegal
Leininger, Julia / Daniel Nowack (2022)
in: Third World Quarterly 43 (2), 309-331

What role do local elections play for societal peace in Nepal? Evidence from post-conflict Nepal
Fiedler, Charlotte / Karina Mross / Anna Berg / Prakash Bhattarai / Dorothea Drees / Tim Kornprobst / Alexandra Leibbrandt / Philipp Liegmann / Maleen Riebsamen (2022)
Discussion Paper 4/2022

Protecting democracy from abroad: democracy aid against attempts to circumvent presidential term limits
Nowack, Daniel / Leininger, Julia (2021)
in: Democratization 29 (1), 154-173

Process tracing the term limit struggle in Malawi: the role of international democracy promotion in Muluzi's bid for a third term
Nowack, Daniel (2021)
in: Africa Spectrum (55) 3, 291-320

Disaggregating democracy aid to explain peaceful democratisation after civil wars
Mross, Karina (2021)
in: European Journal of International Security, first published 17.12.2021

The significance of the independence referendum for New Caledonia
Kaiser, Frederike (2021)
The Current Column of 29 November 2021

Protecting democracy: the relevance of international democracy promotion for term limits
Leininger Julia / Daniel Nowack (2021)
Briefing Paper 21/2021

Three misconceptions in the debate about Afghanistan: Why Germany should promote democracy now more so than ever
Leininger, Julia (2021)
The Current Column of 31 August 2021

About the need for a public debate about social cohesion and democracy
Leininger, Julia / Armin von Schiller (2021)
The Current Column of 28 April 2021

Time is ripe for a global democracy summit
Lindberg, Staffan / Julia Leininger (2021)
The Current Column of 19 January 2021

Undoing “America First” at the UN
Hendra, John / Silke Weinlich (2021)
The Current Column of 18 January 2021

The struggle for minds and influence: the Chinese communist party’s global outreach
Hackenesch, Christine / Julia Bader (2020)
in: International Studies Quarterly, 09.06.2020

What the EU should do for democracy support in Africa: ten proposals for a new strategic initiative in times of polarisation
Hackenesch, Christine / Julia Leininger / Karina Mross (2020)
Discussion Paper 14/2020

Tackling the pandemic without doing away with democracy
Leininger, Julia (2020)
The Current Colum of 27 April 2020

More donors, more democracy
Ziaja, Sebastian (2020)
in: The Journal of Politics 82 (2), 433-447

Gradual, cooperative, coordinated: effective support for peace and democracy in conflict-affected states
Fiedler, Charlotte / Jörn Grävingholt / Julia Leininger / Karina Mross (2019)
in: International Studies Perspectives, 1-24

The negotiation of democracy promotion: issues, parameters and consequences
Poppe, Annika Elena / Julia Leininger / Jonas Wolff (eds.)(2019)
Democratization 26 (5), (Special Issue), London: Routledge Taylor & Francis

First peace, then democracy? Evaluating strategies of international support at critical junctures after civil war
Mross, Karina (2019)
in: International Peacekeeping 26 (2), 190-215

The relevance of social policies for democracy: preventing autocratisation through synergies between SDG 10 and SDG 16
Leininger, Julia / Anna Lührmann / Rachel Sigman(2019)
Discussion Paper 7/2019

First Peace, then Democracy? Evaluating Strategies of International Support at Critical Junctures after Civil War
Mross, Karina (2019)
International Peacekeeping, 26:2, 190-215

Democracy support and peaceful democratisation after civil war
Mross, Karina (2019)
Briefing Paper 7/2019

Aid, political conditionality, and other international efforts to support democracy in Africa
Hackenesch, Christine(2019)
in: Nic Cheeseman (ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics, Oxford: Oxford Univ. Pr.

Cultural values, attitudes, and democracy promotion in Malawi: how values mediate the effectiveness of donor support for the reform of presidential term limits and family law
Nowack, Daniel(2018)
Discussion Paper 27/2018

Lessons learnt from impact-oriented accompanying research: potentials and limitations to rigorously assessing the impact of governance programmes
Funk, Evelyn / Lisa Groß / Julia Leininger / Armin von Schiller(2018)
Discussion Paper 28/2018

The EU and China in African authoritarian regimes: domestic politics and governance reforms
Hackenesch, Christine(2018)
Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave MacMillan

Democracy promotion in Africa
Leininger, Julia(2018)
in: Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (ed.), (PRIF Report 13/2018), 30-33

Governing the transformations towards sustainability
Leininger, Julia / Ines Dombrowsky / Dirk Messner / Anita Breuer / Constantin Ruhe / Hannah Janetschek / Hermann Lotze-Campen(2018)
in: Elmar Kriegler / Dirk Messner / Nebojsa Nakicenovic / Keywan Riahi / Johan Rockström / Jeffrey Sachs / Sander van der Leeuw / Detlef van Vuuren (eds.), Transformations to achieve the sustainable development goals; Report prepared by The World in 2050 Initiative, Laxenburg: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), 107-126

Method factors in democracy indicators
Elff, Martin / Sebastian Ziaja  (2018)
Politics and Governance, 6 (1), 92–104.

Supporting peace after civil war: what kind of international engagement can make a difference?
Fiedler, Charlotte / Jörn Grävingholt / Karina Mross(2018)
(Briefing Paper 23/2018)

On the effects of international support to peace and democracy in Kenya and Kyrgyzstan in the aftermath of interethnic violence
Fiedler, Charlotte(2018)
in: Journal of Asian and African Studies 53 (2), 314– 329

Demokratieförderung schafft Stabilität
Leininger, Julia(2017)
in: Wolfgang Ischinger / Dirk Messner (Hrsg.), Deutschlands neue Verantwortung: die Zukunft der deutschen und europäischen Außen-, Entwicklungs- und Sicherheitspolitik, Berlin: Econ, 194-197

Post-conflict societies: chances for peace and types of international support
Fiedler, Charlotte / Karina Mroß(2017)
(Briefing Paper 4/2017)

It's institutions, not theology! Muslim actors’ influence on democratization in Mali
Leininger, Julia(2016)
in: Politics and Religion 9 (4), 815-842

Assessing the potential of ICTs for participatory development in Sub-Saharan Africa with evidence from urban Togo
Breuer, Anita / Jacob Groshek(2016)
published on International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society doi:10.1007/s10767-016-9235-5

It’s domestic politics, stupid! EU democracy promotion strategies meet African dominant party regimes
Hackenesch, Christine (2015)
in: World Development 75/2015 (Special Issue: Political Conditionality and EU Foreign Aid), 85–96

Supporting democracy abroad: an assessment of leading powers
Faust, Jörg / Julia Leininger(2014)
Washington D.C.: Freedom House

Conflicting objectives in democracy promotion: avoiding blueprint traps and incomplete democratic transitions
Leininger, Julia / Sebastian Ziaja(2014)
Briefing Paper 11/2014

Struggling for stability: international support for peace and democracy in post-civil war Nepal
Grävingholt, Jörn / Lennart Bendfeldt / Linda Berk / Yvonne Blos / Charlotte Fiedler / Karina Mroß(2013)
Discussion Paper 27/2013

Democracy promotion in the age of social media: risks and opportunities
Breuer, Anita(2011)
Briefing Paper 12/2011

Events

Expert Exchange Meeting
Democracy Protection in the Global South(s) and North(s): Approaches, Effectiveness, and Challenges
Berlin, 28 November 2024

Informal Discussion
Die Demokratie braucht Hilfe! Welche Rolle kann Deutschland in Europa und der Welt spielen?
Berlin, 04.04.2019

Workshop
Whither the “End of the Liberal Order“. Do Societal Values Influence the Effectiveness of Democracy Support?
Bonn, 07.12.2017 bis 08.12.2017