Carrots and sticks for democracy in the OAS: Comparison with the east European experience

Abstract

Regional European organizations have been heavily involved in promoting democracy in Eastern Europe over the past decade. This article summarizes tools that exist in the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for promoting democracy, and suggests similar mechanisms that the Organization of American States (OAS) could adopt in order to enforce and encourage member states’ adherence to the principles included in the OAS Democratic Charter. These organizations are examined because their composition and power are similar to those of the OAS. The author suggests modifications to the Inter‐American human rights process and norms of election monitoring, as well as ways of structuring democracy assistance programs to maximize effectiveness.