8.10B - Democracy as 'Success'
For some governments and IGOs, the introduction of democratic institutions is deemed important and freedom of expression is seen as central to the development of democratic and capitalist societies.
Western governments, especially the USA (and to a lesser extent EU countries and IGOs such as the UN) see the promotion of democracy and freedom of expression as a key outcome of intervention.
Most countries that carry out interventions are Western, capitalist democracies. It is perhaps not surprising that these countries equate freedom and democracy with success. However, few countries score highly on the Cato Institute's Human Freedom Index. In fact, less than 40% of the world's population live in countries that are'free.' (Much of Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand)
Freedom and democracy are less common than might be expected:
- there is very little tradition of freedom, democratic elections or gender equality in the Middle East
- 60 years ago, most African countries were colonies; democracy has struggled to take root there
Western countries could be criticised for forcing their own economic and political model on developing and emerging countries, when 'success' might actually be measured in terms of rising incomes, improving life expectancy and increasing participation in education.
In 2015, a survey by Pew Research Global found that only 53% of people in Pakistan and 52% in Turkey agreed that people should be able to criticise the government's policies. In the USA and UK, the figures were 95% and 94%. Support for complete freedom of speech is not universal.