Does foreign aid help or hurt democracy? | Ryan Jablonski
Shownotes
What if foreign aid is not just funding development, but also shaping who wins elections and who holds political power? As governments across the world reconsider their foreign aid commitments, an important question deserves greater attention: Does foreign aid strengthen democracy, or does it undermine political accountability?
In this episode, Dan Banik speaks with Ryan Jablonski, Associate Professor of Political Science at the London School of Economics and author of Dependency Politics: How Foreign Aid Shapes Electoral Behavior (Cambridge University Press, 2026).
Drawing on extensive research in Malawi and other aid-dependent democracies, Ryan challenges conventional assumptions about foreign aid, corruption, and political accountability. Their conversation explores how politicians negotiate with international donors and NGOs, why voters reward politicians who attract development projects, and how foreign assistance influences electoral competition and government legitimacy.
They also examine the growing influence of China and other emerging donors, the consequences of declining Western aid, and the difficult trade-offs between development effectiveness and democratic accountability.
At the heart of the discussion is a fundamental question: How can foreign aid help countries deliver essential public services while also strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring that governments remain accountable to their citizens?
Host:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-banik/
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