International Policy Delegation and Democratic Backsliding

• In Event: Democratic Erosion and Resistance: Domestic to International Factors 2

Abstract

Following the end of the Cold War, there was a broad-based consensus among political elites and policymakers around the world that delegating a wide range of policy decisions to international actors would promote not only economic prosperity but would also serve as a powerful tool to promote and protect liberal democracy. Academics similarly heralded multilateralism as a means of enhancing the quality of national democratic processes, even in well-functioning democracies. While this multilateralism and policy delegation has occurred through multiple channels, it has most frequently occurred in the context of international organizations (IOs).

A critical question, therefore, is whether policy delegation to these IOs has indeed strengthened domestic democratic institutions and bolstered liberal democracy. My answer is no, at least in the case of already democratic states. Despite extensive international integration, multilateralism, and policy delegation in the post-Cold War era, democratic backsliding —which at its core is characterized by the erosion of liberal democratic institutions by elected officials— has been steadily on the rise, often in states that are heavily integrated into the international system. I argue that policy delegation to IOs has eroded liberal democracy in already democratic states by simultaneously increasing relative executive power and limiting their domestic policy space, which undermines core representative and other domestic institutions critical for long-term democratic stability and even survival.
This article briefly outlines this argument before then testing and showing cross-national evidence in support of it. Specifically, I find that increased membership in IOs with significant amounts of political authority —or the ability to influence domestic outcomes in their member states— and in IOs with extensive policy competencies makes states more susceptible to backsliding. It also erodes critical institutional checks on the executive and limits states’ domestic policy space. These findings carry critical policy implications for both how democracies interact with one another internationally, as well as for ongoing efforts to promote, support, and protect democracy around the world.

Author

• Anna M. Meyerrose, Arizona State University