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Explaining the Enforcement of Democracy by Regional Organizations: Comparing EU, Mercosur and SADC
Author(s) -
VAN DER VLEUTEN ANNA,
HOFFMANN ANDREA RIBEIRO
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
jcms: journal of common market studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.54
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1468-5965
pISSN - 0021-9886
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-5965.2010.02071.x
Subject(s) - credibility , democracy , enforcement , regional integration , political science , identity (music) , member states , political economy , international trade , business , economics , european union , law , politics , physics , acoustics
Regional organizations sometimes intervene to preserve democracy in one of their Member States. When a regional organization has developed a democratic identity, non‐intervention in case of violation of democratic principles would damage its credibility domestically and internationally. Nonetheless, violations of democratic principles sometimes go unsanctioned. Building on case studies of (non‐)interventions by the EU, Mercosur and SADC, we show that the ideational costs of pressure by third parties and the interests of the regional leading powers can explain the enforcement of democracy by regional organizations. Third party pressure remains ineffective, however, when there is a clash between regional identities.