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• The Despot's Accomplice: How the West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2016

1. The despot's accomplice : how the West is aiding and abetting the decline of democracy LCCN 2017275182 Type of material Book Personal name Klaas, Brian P. (Brian Paul), 1986- author. Main title The despot's accomplice : how the West is aiding and abetting the decline of democracy / Brian Klaas. Published/Produced Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, [2016] Description viii, 274 pages ; 23 cm ISBN 9780190668013 (Hardcover) 0190668016 (Hardcover) CALL NUMBER JC423 .K554 2016b CABIN BRANCH Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE 2. The despot's accomplice : how the West is aiding and abetting the decline of democracy LCCN 2017392070 Type of material Book Personal name Klaas, Brian P. (Brian Paul), 1986- author. Main title The despot's accomplice : how the West is aiding and abetting the decline of democracy / Brian Klass. Published/Produced London : Hurst & Company, 2016. ©2016 Description viii, 274 pages ; 23 cm ISBN 9781849046879 (hardback) CALL NUMBER JC423 .K554 2016 CABIN BRANCH Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE

• Brian Klaas Home Page - http://brianpklaas.com/about/

  Dr. Brian Klaas is an expert on democracy, authoritarianism, American politics, US foreign policy, political violence, and elections. Klaas is the author of "The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's Attack on Democracy" (November 2017); "The Despot's Accomplice: How the West is Aiding & Abetting the Decline of Democracy," and "How to Rig an Election" (co-authored with Professor Nic Cheeseman; coming Spring 2018).

  Klaas is a Fellow in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics. Klaas has advised governments, US political campaigns, NATO, the European Union, multi-billion dollar investors, international NGOs, and international politicians.

  Dr. Klaas has extensive experience working in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and United States politics. Prior clients include the premier conflict management NGO in the world, International Crisis Group, the respected international election monitoring organization, The Carter Center, and large private firms. He has conducted field research, interviewing prime ministers, presidents, ministers, rebels, coup plotters, dissidents, and torture victims in an array of countries, including Madagascar, Thailand, Tunisia, Belarus, Côte d'Ivoire, Zambia, and Latvia.

  Klaas writes a regular column in DemocracyPost, based at The Washington Post and for The Hill. His writing has also recently been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, Foreign Affairs, the Financial Times, Newsweek, The Telegraph, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Foreign Policy, Christian Science Monitor, Quartz, Libération (France), L'Express (France), The Globe & Mail (Canada) and many other publications. Klaas is a regular commentator on a wide array of international media outlets too, including MSNBC, CNN, BBC News, Sky News, NPR News, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, BBC World Service, France 24, CBC News (Canada), Radio France Internationale, Al-Jazeera, ARD News (Germany), and many others. Prior to becoming an academic, Dr. Klaas worked on US campaigns -- including serving as the Policy Director / Deputy Campaign Manager for Mark Dayton's successful bid for Governor of Minnesota.

  Klaas, an American, speaks French and is proficient in Arabic in addition to his native English. He received his DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford (New College), an MPhil in Comparative Government from the University of Oxford (St. Antony's), and a Bachelor of Arts (Summa Cum Laude; Phi Beta Kappa) from Carleton College.

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-klaas-50246511/?ppe=1

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  Dr. Brian Klaas is an expert on global democracy, democratic transitions, political violence and volatility, and elections -- and the economic risks of all these challenges. Klaas is the author of the book, "The Despot's Accomplice: How the West is Aiding & Abetting the Decline of Democracy," (Hurst & Co./Oxford University Press). He is a Fellow in Comparative Politics at the London School of Economics. Klaas has advised governments, multi-billion dollar investors, international NGOs, and high-profile politicians.

  Dr. Klaas has extensive experience working in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and United States politics. Prior clients include the premier conflict management NGO in the world, International Crisis Group, the respected international election monitoring organization, The Carter Center, and large private firms. In the last two years, he has worked with elites at the highest levels of government and public affairs in Thailand, Tunisia, Madagascar, Zambia, Belarus, Nigeria, and Côte d'Ivoire. He has recently been featured in The New York Times, the Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, the Financial Times, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Foreign Policy, Christian Science Monitor, Libération (France), L'Express (France), and The Globe & Mail (Canada). Klaas has appeared on a wide array of international media outlets too, including BBC News, CNN, NPR News, Sky News, CNBC, Bloomberg TV, France 24, BBC World Service, CBC News (Canada), Radio France Internationale, Al-Jazeera, ARD News (German national TV), Record TV (Brazilian national TV), and Agence France Presse.

  Klaas, an American, speaks French and is proficient in Arabic in addition to his native English. He received his DPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford (New College), an MPhil in Comparative Government from the University of Oxford (St. Antony's), and a Bachelor of Arts (Summa Cum Laude; Phi Beta Kappa) from Carleton College. See less See less of Brian’s summary
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  Degree NameDoctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Field Of StudyPolitics (Elections/Coups and Civil Wars)
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  Activities and Societies: Captain, New College Boat Club (2014-15) President, St. Antony's College Boat Club (2012-2013) University of Oxford Triathlon Team
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• London School of Economics and Political Science - http://www.lse.ac.uk/researchAndExpertise/Experts/profile.aspx?KeyValue=b.klaas@lse.ac.uk

  Klaas, Brian
  Dr Brian Klaas
  Department Position held
  Department of Government
  Fellow in Comparative Politics

  Experience keywords:
  American politics; US foreign policy; Western foreign policy; authoritarianism; civil wars; conflict; democracy; despotism; dictatorships; diplomacy; election rigging; elections; electoral systems; global democracy; political campaigns
  Sectors and industries to which research relates:
  Consultancy; Policy and Regulatory Bodies; Public Administration
  Countries and regions to which research relates:
  Belarus; Middle East; Southeast Asia; Sub-Saharan Africa; Thailand; Tunisia; United States
  Languages:
  French [Spoken: Intermediate, Written: Intermediate]
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  LSE email:
  b.klaas@lse.ac.uk

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The Despot's Accomplice: How the West Is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy
Publishers Weekly. 264.6 (Feb. 6, 2017): p55.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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The Despot's Accomplice: How the West Is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy

Brian Klaas. Oxford Univ., $27.95 (256p)

ISBN 978-0-190668-01-3

This efficient and thought-provoking plea for the U.S. and other Western countries to prioritize democracy promotion is a must-read, especially with the pending development of President Trump's foreign policy. Klaas, a fellow in comparative politics at the London School of Economics, is no armchair academic, and his analyses of policymaking challenges are informed by extensive, and sometimes dangerous, field work. This accessible read does not sacrifice depth for breadth as Klaas reviews the history of democracy before making convincing cases for his 10 principles for nurturing its expansion, which include "stop trying to improve democracy with war," and "encourage new democracies to include the old regime during transitions." He's a vigorous opponent of Kissinger-style realpolitik, but he also advocates positions that he anticipates will be opposed by the left. The volume's seriousness, appropriate given democracy's global decline over the past decade, is leavened by gallows humor, as when he notes that a USAID program reported that Cambodia had exceeded expectations for democratic values--a year after an anti-democratic coup. Klaas is able to make his points simply and clearly, as in his observation that democracy, like free speech, must be protected regardless of whether it yields a preferred result. (May)

"The Despot's Accomplice: How the West Is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy." Publishers Weekly, 6 Feb. 2017, p. 55. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA480593866&it=r&asid=8dcf36c4f1e29341183178d70b9a696d. Accessed 8 Oct. 2017.

• London School of Economics Review of Books
  http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2017/03/28/book-review-the-despots-accomplice-how-the-west-is-aiding-and-abetting-the-decline-of-democracy-by-brian-klaas/
  Word count: 1405

  Book Review: The Despot’s Accomplice: How The West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy by Brian Klaas

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  In The Despot’s Accomplice: How the West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy, Brian Klaas provides a frontline account of the contemporary history of democracy, the current state of democracy promotion and the fundamental flaws in the West’s approach. This dynamic book offers convincing insight into the impact of current policy and proposals for future strategies that should be required reading for policymakers and practitioners engaged in democracy promotion, recommends Robert Ledger.

  If you are interested in this review, you may also like to read an interview with Brian Klaas, reposted on LSE RB in October 2016, and listen to a podcast recording of his LSE lecture from 13 October 2016.

  The Despot’s Accomplice: How The West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy. Brian Klaas. Hurst. 2016.

  Find this book: amazon-logo

  The Despot’s Accomplice: How the West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy, Brian Klaas’s new book, is an engaging account of the contemporary history of democracy, its promotion and the flaws in the West’s approach. Drawing on first-hand experience and interviews, the book provides insights into the impact of current policy as well as proposals as to how this strategy could be altered.

  An academic at the London School of Economics, Klaas has also acted as an election monitor in a variety of locations and worked with a number of NGOs. This experience provides the core material for The Despot’s Accomplice, which contains extensive research and is written in a lively and highly readable style. As such, it will be enjoyed by the general reader as well as by university students and specialists. Klaas combines personal observation with astute political analysis. Many of the book’s insights are also gleaned from interviews with both high profile and lesser known figures, including former Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, and a former Belarussian Presidential candidate, Mikalai Statkevich, as well as other key actors in Tunisia, Cote d’Ivoire and Madagascar. These interviews are a key feature of the book.

  The structure of The Despot’s Accomplice includes an overview of democracy promotion, followed by several thematic chapters based around policy recommendations. The first section charts the recent history of the apparently unstoppable rise of the democratic ideal. Following the end of the Cold War, democracies proliferated across the world and the West helped facilitate this trend through its democracy promotion policies. The EU, for instance, tied democratic reform to access to its markets and regional development funds. One key case study given to illustrate this point is Latvia. Klaas outlines how until recently the tiny Baltic state was under the authoritarian control of the Soviet Union and the KGB. Since independence in 1991, the country has made the transition to become a lively liberal democracy, incentivised by EU accession, which it achieved in 2004. Comparing the Baltic country’s current situation within the EU with its Soviet past is instructive, and has been brought into sharper focus in light of Russia’s recent belligerence towards its ‘near abroad’.

  Today, however, this process appears to have stalled or even to be in retreat. The Despot’s Accomplice identifies a number of policy mistakes that have made matters worse: for instance, waging war to impose democracy in the Middle East; tolerating authoritarianism in the hope that autocrats can be cajoled into reform; and generally giving legitimacy to ‘counterfeit’ democracies. Klaas outlines the West’s baleful habit of branding elections partly ‘free and fair’, when in reality they are often neither. Klaas describes why this trend is so critical:

  Democracy’s core attributes do affect daily life considerably. The aspirations of billions of people hinge upon this seemingly academic debate. Democracy, in its essence, has fundamental advantages over dictatorship. Consolidated democracies spawn more economic opportunity, enjoy better physical security and are bastions of greater justice (219).
  Image Credit: (HOGRE CCO)

  Readers familiar with the subject will be keenly aware of the shadow imposed by China and Russia on democracy promotion, covered in the chapter titled ‘The Bear and the Dragon’. The influence of these two powers is impeding democratisation, while the ‘Beijing Consensus’ – aid not tied to democratic or institutional reform – is providing an alternative option for authoritarian regimes in need of cash. The impact of this trend is being seen in many regions, an apt example here being Thailand. As a result, the resolve of Western policymakers – desperate to maintain influence – towards democracy promotion is waning. As Klaas forcefully argues, this is a mistake: ‘Global democracy is in decline. As a result, the world is becoming less stable, less prosperous, and vastly more dangerous’ (213).

  The recommendations found in The Despot’s Accomplice offer a fascinating and innovative approach to this topic. These include pragmatism, such as offering a ruling despot a ‘way out’ if they have lost an election and fear retribution from the victor. Klaas describes how often there is no incentive for despots to relinquish power; in fact, the opposite is usually true. Other chapters feature practical suggestions like encouraging a new regime to include elements of the old one. The West should also not directly interfere with elections and should concentrate its resources on reformers as opposed to wasting money on counterfeit democrats.

  Another theme identified in the book is that the West, in order to convincingly promote democratic norms, has to lead by example (177-80). Nowhere has this been more apparent than in the recent Presidential elections in the United States. Across the Western world, a deluge of propaganda, opinion being prioritised over facts as well as the ‘fake news’ phenomenon are all discrediting democratic practices. Cries of hypocrisy strengthen the narrative provided by the likes of Russia.

  However, the most thought-provoking chapter concerns the idea of a ‘League of Democracies’ (152-60). This would entail an apolitical trading area of consolidated democracies, membership of which would be contingent on democratic behaviour and standards. Although this proposal would be fiendishly difficult to put into practice, linkage with economic incentivisation is a key reason why democracies proliferated in the 1990s.

  The very notion of democracy promotion by the West has proven controversial in recent years and readers may not agree with all of Klaas’s principles. Nevertheless, as the world drifts further into an era guided by narrow self-interest and Realpolitik, the overarching argument here is convincing. Democracies form a more stable international system, a so-called ‘democratic zone of peace’. Working out how to encourage democratic transition and consolidation is crucial.

  There are numerous books on the West’s strategy towards democracy promotion. Others highlight different approaches, such as a security focus, the importance of regional peace as a precursor to democracy, reducing corruption or building institutions alongside democracy. The Despot’s Accomplice has a different emphasis, providing a number of thought-provoking policy principles. Klaas’s dynamic new book is as vital as it is timely, and should be required reading for foreign ministries engaged, however notionally, in democracy promotion.

  Robert Ledger has a PhD from Queen Mary University London in political science, his thesis examining the influence of liberal economic ideas on the Thatcher government, and an MA in International Relations from Brunel University. He has worked in Brussels and Berlin for the European Stability Initiative – a think tank – on EU enlargement and human rights issues. He has published widely on European and British politics, edited the Journal of International Relations Research and is also a regular contributor to Global Risk Insights, a political risk group. Read more reviews by Robert Ledger.

  Note: This review gives the views of the author, and not the position of the LSE Review of Books blog, or of the London School of Economics.

• Foreign Affairs
  https://www.foreignaffairs.com/reviews/capsule-review/2017-02-13/despot-s-accomplice-how-west-aiding-and-abetting-decline-democracy
  Word count: 222

  CAPSULE REVIEW March/April 2017 Issue
  The Despot’s Accomplice: How the West Is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy
  by Brian Klaas
  Reviewed by G. John Ikenberry
  In This Review
  In recent years, democracy seems to have fallen on hard times, while authoritarianism has flourished. In this spirited and contrarian book, Klaas makes the case for pushing back against this global authoritarian tide. He does not defend the West’s many botched efforts at democracy promotion or the misuse of military intervention; instead he argues that the core of Western strategy should be confronting despots rather than seeking pragmatic accommodations with them. Such compromises have led to what he calls “the Saudi Arabia effect,” as the United States and other liberal states cozy up to nondemocratic regimes in the name of geostrategic expediency, only to find themselves one step removed from the role of an active accomplice in oppression. He also warns against “the Madagascar effect,” which finds Western governments setting extremely low standards for “counterfeit democracies” so that they can justify working with them, which is what happened in the wake of the rigged elections held after a 2013 coup in Madagascar. He concedes that the short-term costs of confronting despots are real but maintains that doing so yields long-term strategic and moral gains.

• National
  https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/book-review-the-despot-s-accomplice-challenges-the-west-s-commitment-to-democracy-1.51280
  Word count: 1526

  Book review: The Despot’s Accomplice challenges the West’s commitment to democracy
  In The Despot’s Accomplice: How the West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy, Brian Klaas makes a compelling case that the West, for all its posturing about promoting democracy, has not always matched rhetoric with reality.

  Muhammad Idrees Ahmad
  Muhammad Idrees Ahmad
  March 9, 2017
  Updated: March 9, 2017 04:00 AM
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  Pro-government protesters in Bangkok ahead of the 2014 elections, which was followed by an army coup. The US hasn’t intervened in fear of the junta allying with China. Getty Images
  Pro-government protesters in Bangkok ahead of the 2014 elections, which was followed by an army coup. The US hasn’t intervened in fear of the junta allying with China. Getty Images
  The new millennium has been unkind to democracy, but never has the brand suffered greater damage than it did in 2016. The populist winds that have been roiling the world finally reached the Atlantic, marking Britain and the United States’s retreat into nativism. Through the hallowed means of the ballot, Britain voted itself out of the European Union and America elected for president an unvarnished populist with white nationalists in the wing. A quarter century after Francis Fukuyama declared the “end of history” with free market globalisation as the engine to carry the world to a liberal democratic utopia, the twin fears of terror and migration are rehabilitating authoritarianism, giving Fukuyama himself doubts about the future of democracy.

  In The Despot’s Accomplice: How the West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy, Brian Klaas makes a compelling case that the West, for all its virtuous posturing about promoting democracy, has not always matched rhetoric with reality. The author acknowledges that only the West has shown the means and motivation for promoting democracy, empowering democrats in various parts of the world with funding, training and election monitoring. But the commitment, he argues, has not always been consistent and the efforts have been subordinated to short-term concerns. NGOs entrusted with democracy promotion and funded by western governments have often found their work undercut by diplomats from the same governments in the name of political expediency. The West at times has also subverted democracy, directly interfering in elections (as it did in occupied Palestine) or actually overthrowing democratically elected governments (as in Chile and Guatemala).

  Klaas notes that western attitudes towards democracy are guided foremost by geopolitical concerns. If a state is geopolitically significant, its mode of governance will not be a barrier to good relations. If its geopolitical value is in doubt, then the West will demand nothing less than absolute commitment to democracy. In most cases, however, the West is content with counterfeit democracy – democracy with all its trappings but none of its substance – as long as the state is deemed geopolitically significant. US and Britain have shown no qualms in allying with dubious regimes in exchange for services rendered in the so-called “war on terror” or in the name of “stability”.

  But such choices are not always cynical. How does one deal with a state like Belarus, for example? After a brief dalliance with democracy, in 1994 the former Soviet republic relapsed into authoritarianism when Alexander Lukashenko was elected president. Consequently the country remained under sanctions for years. But this only prompted it to move closer to Russia. In 2016, the West eased sanctions on Belarus in the hopes of weaning it away from Russia. This may or may not work; but legitimate geopolitical concerns have led the West to disregard Lukashenko’s disdain for democracy in the hopes of an uncertain gain.

  A similar dilemma has also guided US attitudes toward Thailand, a state prone to frequent coups. In the past, after a coup, the US would rebuke the military and pressure it to relinquish power, even if it was only to a chosen puppet. But after the last coup in 2014, the military has maintained direct control and the US has been reluctant to exert pressure lest it send the junta closer into Chinese arms.

  With an increasingly assertive Russia and China, it is understandable that the West would try not to antagonise potential allies. What is not understandable, however, is when the West goes out of its way to alienate democrats in the hopes of courting wavering authoritarians. In the spring of 2012, when the military in Thailand cracked down on protests, killing 90 and injuring 2,000, the US state department under Hillary Clinton blamed the protesters; in Syria, when the regime repeatedly flaunted ceasefires and spurned proposals for political transition, John Kerry blamed the opposition.

  In the long term, these attitudes will have consequences. If one day any of these regimes is overthrown, the people are unlikely to see the West as an ally. The West has already alienated many with its cynical use of democracy and human rights as cudgels to be used against ideological opponents and disregarded where inconvenient. In Syria, for example, where there are no strategic interests at stake, the West has been perfectly willing to abandon democratic forces and overlook what the UN has described as the “crime of extermination”.

  Equally significant in undermining the West’s authority has been the quality of its own democracy. The crisis of the euro zone has unfolded in front of a global audience; American democracy, too, appears dynastic and corrupt. In a gloomy chapter, Klaas – who as project director ran the successful gubernatorial campaign for democrat Mark Dayton of Minnesota – gives his bleak assessment. He notes that through gerrymandering, gridlock and out-of-control campaign financing, the US political system has been thoroughly rigged. In the 2014 midterm elections, 34 out of 50 states did not have a single competitive seat, and out of 79 million votes cast only 5 million were in competitive districts. Since the passage of the Citizens United ruling in 2010, which lifted limits on campaign donations, and with the rise of Super PACs (Political Action Committees), America’s already flawed democracy has been debilitated even further.

  This decline has been exploited by the resurgent Russia and China. Both have sophisticated propaganda operations that are dedicated to exposing western hypocrisy and presenting themselves as an alternative model. Russia’s RT and China’s CCTV hammer this message each day through their vast global operations. They have found particularly receptive audiences in the Middle East and Latin America.

  But these models only look good from afar. No one in Ukraine is pining for the Russian model and protesters in Hong Kong have explicitly rejected Chinese Communist Party control. The ideals of liberal democracy do still hold appeal. And Latvia and Tunisia present successful examples of the transition to democracy.

  Tunisia’s example is particularly instructive as it is the only state that has emerged from the Arab Spring with a functioning democracy when others were overwhelmed by counter-revolution. A main reason, Klaas notes, is that unlike in Iraq, where the de-baathification process excluded a large segment of society that had actual experience of governing and administration, in Tunisia, the revolutionaries showed magnanimity and did not exclude the entire previous structure. This way, not only was Tunisia able to gain from their administrative expertise, it also avoided creating a powerful hostile force invested in its failure.

  For Klaas, democracy promotion is worthwhile, but he believes the idea has been tainted by poor implementation and by its unfortunate association with George W Bush’s interventionist policies. Klaas rejects the neoconservative view that democracy can be imposed by force. But he does not rule out force as a legitimate means of defending an existing democracy should forces of authoritarianism imperil it. Ultimately, however, he believes carrots are more useful in promoting democracy than sticks, as the example of the European Union shows. With membership conditional upon democratic governance, it has encouraged states to consolidate democracy and, in turn, membership of the EU has brought them major economic dividends.

  Does all this sound quixotic? Klaas addresses this question in his response to the common realist and conservative criticisms of democracy promotion. Sometimes Klaas sidesteps fraught questions and sometimes his answers fail to persuade. But he is conscious of the limitations of his argument and he writes without illusions. He offers 10 principles, illustrated with case studies, that can ensure that to the extent that the commitment to democracy is real, the outcome may be successful.

  The book is replete with interesting anecdotes from Klaas’s visits around the world as a researcher and election monitor. It is written with precision and learning, with lively prose and dark humour. His proposals combine the conviction of an idealist with the experience of a technocrat. At a time when democracy is in retreat and the world seems headed for turbulence, this book can be the shot that revives this ailing patient.

  Muhammad Idrees Ahmad is a lecturer in Digital Journalism at the University of Stirling and a contributor editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books.

• Democratic Audit UK
  http://www.democraticaudit.com/2017/04/09/book-review-the-despots-accomplice-how-the-west-is-aiding-and-abetting-the-decline-of-democracy-by-brian-klaas/
  Word count: 1329

  By Democratic Audit UK 09/04/2017
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  Book review | The Despot’s Accomplice: How The West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy, by Brian Klaas

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  In The Despot’s Accomplice: How the West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy, Brian Klaas provides a frontline account of the contemporary history of democracy, the current state of democracy promotion and the fundamental flaws in the West’s approach. This dynamic book offers convincing insight into the impact of current policy and proposals for future strategies that should be required reading for policymakers and practitioners engaged in democracy promotion, recommends Robert Ledger.

  putin
  Vladimir Putin addresses a pro-Russia rally in 2012. Photo: Moscow Live via a CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0 licence

  The Despot’s Accomplice: How The West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy. Brian Klaas. Hurst. 2016.

  Find this book: amazon-logo

  The Despot’s Accomplice: How the West is Aiding and Abetting the Decline of Democracy, Brian Klaas’s new book, is an engaging account of the contemporary history of democracy, its promotion and the flaws in the West’s approach. Drawing on first-hand experience and interviews, the book provides insights into the impact of current policy as well as proposals as to how this strategy could be altered.

  An academic at the London School of Economics, Klaas has also acted as an election monitor in a variety of locations and worked with a number of NGOs. This experience provides the core material for The Despot’s Accomplice, which contains extensive research and is written in a lively and highly readable style. As such, it will be enjoyed by the general reader as well as by university students and specialists. Klaas combines personal observation with astute political analysis. Many of the book’s insights are also gleaned from interviews with both high profile and lesser known figures, including former Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, and a former Belarussian Presidential candidate, Mikalai Statkevich, as well as other key actors in Tunisia, Cote d’Ivoire and Madagascar. These interviews are a key feature of the book.

  The structure of The Despot’s Accomplice includes an overview of democracy promotion, followed by several thematic chapters based around policy recommendations. The first section charts the recent history of the apparently unstoppable rise of the democratic ideal. Following the end of the Cold War, democracies proliferated across the world and the West helped facilitate this trend through its democracy promotion policies. The EU, for instance, tied democratic reform to access to its markets and regional development funds. One key case study given to illustrate this point is Latvia. Klaas outlines how until recently the tiny Baltic state was under the authoritarian control of the Soviet Union and the KGB. Since independence in 1991, the country has made the transition to become a lively liberal democracy, incentivised by EU accession, which it achieved in 2004. Comparing the Baltic country’s current situation within the EU with its Soviet past is instructive, and has been brought into sharper focus in light of Russia’s recent belligerence towards its ‘near abroad’.

  Today, however, this process appears to have stalled or even to be in retreat. The Despot’s Accomplice identifies a number of policy mistakes that have made matters worse: for instance, waging war to impose democracy in the Middle East; tolerating authoritarianism in the hope that autocrats can be cajoled into reform; and generally giving legitimacy to ‘counterfeit’ democracies. Klaas outlines the West’s baleful habit of branding elections partly ‘free and fair’, when in reality they are often neither. Klaas describes why this trend is so critical:

  Democracy’s core attributes do affect daily life considerably. The aspirations of billions of people hinge upon this seemingly academic debate. Democracy, in its essence, has fundamental advantages over dictatorship. Consolidated democracies spawn more economic opportunity, enjoy better physical security and are bastions of greater justice (219).

  Readers familiar with the subject will be keenly aware of the shadow imposed by China and Russia on democracy promotion, covered in the chapter titled ‘The Bear and the Dragon’. The influence of these two powers is impeding democratisation, while the ‘Beijing Consensus’ – aid not tied to democratic or institutional reform – is providing an alternative option for authoritarian regimes in need of cash. The impact of this trend is being seen in many regions, an apt example here being Thailand. As a result, the resolve of Western policymakers – desperate to maintain influence – towards democracy promotion is waning. As Klaas forcefully argues, this is a mistake: ‘Global democracy is in decline. As a result, the world is becoming less stable, less prosperous, and vastly more dangerous’ (213).

  The recommendations found in The Despot’s Accomplice offer a fascinating and innovative approach to this topic. These include pragmatism, such as offering a ruling despot a ‘way out’ if they have lost an election and fear retribution from the victor. Klaas describes how often there is no incentive for despots to relinquish power; in fact, the opposite is usually true. Other chapters feature practical suggestions like encouraging a new regime to include elements of the old one. The West should also not directly interfere with elections and should concentrate its resources on reformers as opposed to wasting money on counterfeit democrats.

  Another theme identified in the book is that the West, in order to convincingly promote democratic norms, has to lead by example (177-80). Nowhere has this been more apparent than in the recent Presidential elections in the United States. Across the Western world, a deluge of propaganda, opinion being prioritised over facts as well as the ‘fake news’ phenomenon are all discrediting democratic practices. Cries of hypocrisy strengthen the narrative provided by the likes of Russia.

  However, the most thought-provoking chapter concerns the idea of a ‘League of Democracies’ (152-60). This would entail an apolitical trading area of consolidated democracies, membership of which would be contingent on democratic behaviour and standards. Although this proposal would be fiendishly difficult to put into practice, linkage with economic incentivisation is a key reason why democracies proliferated in the 1990s.

  The very notion of democracy promotion by the West has proven controversial in recent years and readers may not agree with all of Klaas’s principles. Nevertheless, as the world drifts further into an era guided by narrow self-interest and Realpolitik, the overarching argument here is convincing. Democracies form a more stable international system, a so-called ‘democratic zone of peace’. Working out how to encourage democratic transition and consolidation is crucial.

  There are numerous books on the West’s strategy towards democracy promotion. Others highlight different approaches, such as a security focus, the importance of regional peace as a precursor to democracy, reducing corruption or building institutions alongside democracy. The Despot’s Accomplice has a different emphasis, providing a number of thought-provoking policy principles. Klaas’s dynamic new book is as vital as it is timely, and should be required reading for foreign ministries engaged, however notionally, in democracy promotion.

  Read an extract from The Despot’s Accomplice and an interview with Brian Klaas.

  This post represents the views of the author and not those of Democratic Audit. It first appeared at the LSE Review of Books.

  Robert Ledger has a PhD from Queen Mary University London in political science, his thesis examining the influence of liberal economic ideas on the Thatcher government, and an MA in International Relations from Brunel University. He has worked in Brussels and Berlin for the European Stability Initiative – a think tank – on EU enlargement and human rights issues. He has published widely on European and British politics, edited the Journal of International Relations Research and is also a regular contributor to Global Risk Insights, a political risk group. Read more reviews by Robert Ledger.

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