How do different meanings of the concept of ‘democracy’ operate in democracy promotion? How do conceptual decisions influence real political events? How is policy and reflection on democracy promotion shaped by the way different practitioners and scholars understand democracy?

The Conceptual Politics of Democracy Promotion explores the way in which the meaning, content and context of ‘democracy’ are interpreted by different actors in democracy promotion, and how these influence political decisions. Introducing a theoretically new approach to the study of democracy promotion, the volume shows how the alternate ways that democracy can be understood reflects specific interpretations of political and normative ideals, as well as being closely tied to social power relations, interests, and struggles between political actors. With original contributions from some of the most prominent specialists on democracy promotion and democratization, the book examines a number of concrete cases of democracy promotion and contestation over democracy’s meaning.

Re-examining democracy promotion at its time of crisis, this book will be of interest scholars and students of democracy and democratization, politics and international relations, international law, development studies and political theory.

Introduction: The Conceptual Politics of Democracy Promotion Christopher Hobson and Milja Kurki  Part I: Orientations  1. On "Cultivating" Democracy: Enlivening the Imagery for Democracy Promotion Laurence Whitehead  2. Conceptualizing Democratization and Democratizing Conceptualization: A Virtuous Circle Piki Ish Shalom  3. Liberalism and Democracy Promotion Beate Jahn  4. The Past and Future of Social Democracy and the Consequences for Democracy Promotion Sheri Berman  5. Democracy Promotion: Neoliberal vs. Social Democratic Telos Heikki Patomaki  6. Misunderstanding the Maladies of Liberal Democracy Promotion Richard Youngs  Part II: Cases  7. The Conceptual Politics of Democracy Promotion in Bolivia Jonas Wolff  8. Liberal Democracy Promotion and Civil Society Strengthening in Ghana Gordon Crawford and Abdul-Gafaru Abdulai  9. Concepts of Democracy among Donors and Recipients of Democracy Promotion: An Empirical Pilot Study Valerie J. Bunce and Sharon L. Wolchik  10. Arab Democratization and the De-imagining of Authoritarian Community: Beyond Orientalism & Occidentalism Larbi Sadiki  11. The Conceptual Politics of Democracy in International Law Hilary Charlesworth  12. From ‘Fortunate Vagueness’ to ‘Democratic Globalism’: American Democracy Promotion as Imperialism Tony Smith  Conclusion: Reflections on a New Approach in a New Era of Democracy Promotion Christopher Hobson and Milja Kurki