Foreign Affairs

At its core, democratization is a domestic phenomenon. This chapter argues, however, that external factors are not irrelevant to the internal democratization process. By their nature, militaries are outward-looking institutions. The ultimate measure of their strength is how they compare to other foreign militaries. As a result, soldiers tend to be particularly attuned to international standards and how their own society compares to others. Membership in international military organizations increases the influence of global standards over the military. Participation in overseas training programs can also expose officers to international democratic norms. Through their training these officers can become uniquely sensitive to how much their homeland is underdeveloped—technologically, economically, and politically—and the need for substantial advancement in their society. Although Western training of and influence on domestic militaries can play a positive role—particularly when substantial domestic support for democratization already exists—it can also backfire and hinder democratic progress.