International factors of democratization of Post-Soviet states: Using FSQCA

Abstract

Why do some post-communist countries become democratic, while others do not? What cross-border determinants are necessary for the establishment of a democratic regime in this region? Most researchers believe that the establishment of democracy is due to socio-economic factors, political culture, or political changes occur simply by chance. The article is devoted to the study of the influence of international factors. The purpose of the article is to identify the main international factors that contribute to the democratization and consolidation of democracy in post-Soviet states. The author examines the influence of the theory of territorial peace, the international democratic environment, membership in a regional democratic intergovernmental organization, a regional autocratic power, as well as foreign economic activity. To find the answer to the research question, this paper uses fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). As a result of the conducted research, four conditions necessary for the establishment and/or strengthening of democracy were identified. It is shown that the absence of both a militarized interstate dispute and the state’s membership in Eurasian intergovernmental organizations has a positive effect on the consolidation of the democratic regime. The author argues that the presence in Western political and economic integration structures and the predominance of the European direction in foreign trade are also important conditions. The transition to democracy and its strengthening in post-communist countries is exogenously conditioned, the regional and/or international context is important.