Given that Botswana is considered a stable democracy, the need for democracy assistance does not at first glance seem necessary. Yet, democracy assistance is an important feature of Botswana’s political regime. The rationale for democracy assistance is couched in terms of strengthening the country’s democratic institutions, enhancing the state’s capacity, and bolstering Botswana’s civil society. However, contrary to these stated objectives, this article reveals that democracy assistance serves the agenda of Western donor countries and certain multilateral institutions—an agenda concerned with keeping Botswana politically stable and its state institutions efficient so that the country is attractive to investors. This agenda is pursued at the cost of not making certain long overdue political reforms.

中文翻译：

---

博茨瓦纳的民主援助：维持周边资本主义国家的现状

鉴于博茨瓦纳被认为是稳定的民主国家，乍一看似乎不需要民主援助。但是，民主援助是博茨瓦纳政治体制的重要特征。民主援助的依据在于加强该国的民主体制，增强国家的能力以及加强博茨瓦纳的民间社会。但是，与这些既定目标相反，本文揭示了民主援助服务于西方捐助国和某些多边机构的议程，该议程与保持博茨瓦纳的政治稳定以及其国家机构的效率有关，从而使该国对投资者具有吸引力。追求这一议程的代价是不进行某些早该进行的政治改革。