Menchik Examines the Hidden Religious Logic of U.S. Democracy Promotion
In a new article published in Security Studies, Jeremy Menchik, Associate Professor of International Relations and Political Science and Director of Boston University’s Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs (CURA), offers a provocative reassessment of one of the defining features of modern American foreign policy: democracy promotion. In his piece, “American Democracy Promotion and the Missionaries of Empire,” Menchik argues that efforts to export democracy abroad should not be understood only as a strategic or ideological project, but also through the lens of religion and empire.
Throughout, Menchik asks the broad question:”If democracy promotion did not spread democracy abroad, what did it do?” challenging conventional understandings of democracy promotion as either a strategic tool against geopolitical rivals or a well-intentioned effort to strengthen democratic institutions.
As Menchik dove deeper into this question, he began to observe how democracy promotion was often driven by faith in the mission itself rather than demonstrable success in achieving its stated goals.
Drawing on original interviews, archival research, and a newly assembled dataset of grants from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Menchik contends that “Democracy promoters were to American liberal imperialism as Christian missionaries were to European imperialism.” He suggest that democracy promotion served as “the ideological component of American liberal imperialism,” extending to universalizing particular values, sustaining commitment through belief rather than measurable outcomes, and reinforcing support among domestic audiences.
The article acts a continuation of Menchik’s engagement in ongoing debates about religion and international affairs by exploring how religious ideas and structures continue to shape ostensibly secular policies. It is through this lens that he urges scholars to pay closer attention to the religious dimensions embedded within modern political projects, particularly those that present themselves as universal in scope. By tracing the connections between ideology, empire, and belief, Menchik’s study opens new avenues for understanding the historical foundations and lasting influence of American democracy promotion.
The full article can be accessed here.
Jeremy Menchik is the associate professor of international relations and political science at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies and the director of Boston University’s Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs (CURA). His first book, Islam and Democracy in Indonesia: Tolerance without Liberalism (Cambridge University Press, 2016) explains the meaning of tolerance to the world’s largest Islamic organizations and was the winner of the 2017 International Studies Association award for the best book on religion and international relations. His scholarly work has been published in several renowned journals including “The Spirit and/of Political Science” in the Political Science Quarterly and “Symposium on the Jewish Left” in Critical Research on Religion. To read more about his work and accomplishments, click here.