Perspectives on human development theory in democracy promotion: A comparison of democracy promotion programmes in Egypt through the lenses of classical and revised modernisation theory
Inger Karin Moen Dyrnes
#2012-045
This paper argues that the concept of socio-economic development needs
to be redefined for the purpose of effective democracy promotion. By
including aspects from human development theory, advocates of revised
modernisation theory state that mass values in a society shift towards a
preferance for democracy as higher levels socio-economic development
provide existential security. This implies that a democratic culture
shapes its institutions and not the other way around. If donor countries
are willing to make long-term investments in human resources rather than
focus on short-term improvements of state institutions, effective
democracy may stand a better chance of developing.
JEL classification: O15, F59
Keywords: democracy, democratisation, human development theory, modernisation,
socio-economic development, foreign development aid, USAID, Egypt, the
Middle East, the Arab world, foreign policy, international relations,
good governance, civil society, institutional development, economic
policy, judicial reform, civic education