US Foreign Policy on Transitional Justice and Democratization in Tunisia: Pacted Transition or Democracy Reduction?
The United States of America (US) committed nearly $1.4 billion in foreign assistance to Tunisia in support of its democratic transition and transitional justice process between 2011 and 2020. This paper seeks to identify and assess the ideational frameworks guiding the distribution of US assistance...
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European Association for American Studies
2024-06-01
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| Series: | European Journal of American Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/21883 |
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| author | Oussema Othmeni |
| author_facet | Oussema Othmeni |
| author_sort | Oussema Othmeni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The United States of America (US) committed nearly $1.4 billion in foreign assistance to Tunisia in support of its democratic transition and transitional justice process between 2011 and 2020. This paper seeks to identify and assess the ideational frameworks guiding the distribution of US assistance, and influencing US foreign policy behavior, throughout the democratization and transitional justice period in Tunisia. It provides considerable evidence showcasing the existence of two prevalent schools of thought in US policymaking circles: The first school believes that the US invested in the notion of Pacted Transitions, which advocates for rapid transitions through political compromise and power-sharing mechanisms without necessarily promoting grassroots democratic reform. This can indirectly explain the US emphasis on security sector assistance and the relative marginalization of transitional justice objectives mainly in terms of institutional vetting, lustration, and reform. The second school puts forward a Democracy Reduction Critique, arguing instead that US policymakers fell for the electoral democracy fallacy and fetishized the role of civil society. This paper critically accounts for both schools and argues that they represent two sides of the same coin. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aec6ab1420164014bea1de8d5f40f47d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1991-9336 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | European Association for American Studies |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Journal of American Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-aec6ab1420164014bea1de8d5f40f47d2025-01-06T09:08:16ZengEuropean Association for American StudiesEuropean Journal of American Studies1991-93362024-06-01192US Foreign Policy on Transitional Justice and Democratization in Tunisia: Pacted Transition or Democracy Reduction?Oussema OthmeniThe United States of America (US) committed nearly $1.4 billion in foreign assistance to Tunisia in support of its democratic transition and transitional justice process between 2011 and 2020. This paper seeks to identify and assess the ideational frameworks guiding the distribution of US assistance, and influencing US foreign policy behavior, throughout the democratization and transitional justice period in Tunisia. It provides considerable evidence showcasing the existence of two prevalent schools of thought in US policymaking circles: The first school believes that the US invested in the notion of Pacted Transitions, which advocates for rapid transitions through political compromise and power-sharing mechanisms without necessarily promoting grassroots democratic reform. This can indirectly explain the US emphasis on security sector assistance and the relative marginalization of transitional justice objectives mainly in terms of institutional vetting, lustration, and reform. The second school puts forward a Democracy Reduction Critique, arguing instead that US policymakers fell for the electoral democracy fallacy and fetishized the role of civil society. This paper critically accounts for both schools and argues that they represent two sides of the same coin.https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/21883American foreign policypacted transitiondemocracy reductiondemocratizationtransitional justiceTunisia |
| spellingShingle | Oussema Othmeni US Foreign Policy on Transitional Justice and Democratization in Tunisia: Pacted Transition or Democracy Reduction? European Journal of American Studies American foreign policy pacted transition democracy reduction democratization transitional justice Tunisia |
| title | US Foreign Policy on Transitional Justice and Democratization in Tunisia: Pacted Transition or Democracy Reduction? |
| title_full | US Foreign Policy on Transitional Justice and Democratization in Tunisia: Pacted Transition or Democracy Reduction? |
| title_fullStr | US Foreign Policy on Transitional Justice and Democratization in Tunisia: Pacted Transition or Democracy Reduction? |
| title_full_unstemmed | US Foreign Policy on Transitional Justice and Democratization in Tunisia: Pacted Transition or Democracy Reduction? |
| title_short | US Foreign Policy on Transitional Justice and Democratization in Tunisia: Pacted Transition or Democracy Reduction? |
| title_sort | us foreign policy on transitional justice and democratization in tunisia pacted transition or democracy reduction |
| topic | American foreign policy pacted transition democracy reduction democratization transitional justice Tunisia |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/ejas/21883 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT oussemaothmeni usforeignpolicyontransitionaljusticeanddemocratizationintunisiapactedtransitionordemocracyreduction |