How to Protect Democracy Abroad? A Meta-Analysis of Development Interventions

How to protect democracy abroad? This question is increasingly urgent given the global trend of democratic backsliding and cuts to international democracy aid. Yet, evidence on the effectiveness of democracy promotion is often inconsistent, focuses only on specific intervention types, and neglects important moderating effects. This meta-analysis synthesizes experimental and quasi-experimental evidence in a key and high-expenditure area of democracy support: political participation and civil society. We assess the quantity and quality of evidence for different intervention-outcome combinations and compare intervention effectiveness in democracies and autocracies, as well as in contexts of democratization and autocratization. Our findings advance the emerging literature on democracy protection by providing the first systematic synthesis of intervention effectiveness across political contexts, offering evidence-based guidance on intervention selection for policymakers and aid organizations.