Democracy Promotion and Foreign Policy (PDF)

Daniela Huber is a researcher at the Istituto Affari Internazionali, Rome. Her research is focused primarily on the Mediterranean and the Middle East, as well as Turkey and the European Union's eastern neighbours programs. She holds a PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a Masters in International Relations from the Free University of Berlin, and has previously worked for the United Nations.

“This book is a terrific addition to the understanding of democracy promotion as a foreign policy goal. … This study offers paths toward future rigorous research. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above.” (S. L. McMillan, Choice, Vol. 53 (5), January, 2016)

“The book addresses important gaps in international relations (IR) theory in general and in the study of democracy promotion in particular. It is a useful read for scholars and practitioners interested in democracy promotion but also in IR theory.” (May Darwich, Democratization, Vol. 23 (4), September, 2015)

''There is no shortage in scholarship on democracy promotion despite its rather limited effectiveness. This book stands out, however, in its theoretical and empirical rigor. First, Daniela Huber explains why democracies unlike autocratic systems engage in promoting their own political systems on a global scale. She argues, 'it's identity, stupid!' Second, this book not only focuses on the U.S. and the EU, but also explains Turkish efforts at democracy promotion. A 'must-read' for both scholars and practitioners!'' - Professor Dr Thomas Risse, Freie Universität Berlin

''Many scholars argue for the need of breaking away from the dogmatic clutch of monolithic theory. Daniela Huber actually does so and delivers the good promise in a pluralistic and dialogical perspective. Huber draws from varied International Relations theoretical traditions like neo-realism and constructivism and successfully integrates them in her own original theoretical model. By combining strategic, identitive, and normative reasoning, Huber's theoretical model forcefully explains U.S., EU and Turkey's democratization policies within their neighborhoods, and thus offers some policy-relevant insights for the post Arab Spring world.'' - Dr Piki Ish-Shalom, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

''This is a theoretically sophisticated, insightful and empirically well-researched book.