American Foreign Policy: Democracy Assistance Isn’t Regime Change

Opposition to tyranny lies at the heart of every freedom movement. At the dawn of the American Revolution, the patriots who went on to found our nation decided to buck their overlords in Britain, declare independence, and forge what was then the world’s only republican government. The cost of failure would have been death on the grounds of treason. Fortunately, these freedom fighters succeeded, and the world was better for it.

In their quest to defeat the British crown, the American “opposition” needed support from the outside. They found allies in France, Spain, and the Netherlands. This assistance was not only military: The Europeans also helped the colonists organize civically, create newspapers and pamphlets, deliver on governance, and generate economic and social policies. Without help from these friends, America’s patriots may not have won their campaign for independence.

DT

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Daniel Twining

Daniel Twining is the president of the International Republican Institute.

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Opposition to tyranny lies at the heart of every freedom movement. At the dawn of the American Revolution, the patriots who went on to found our nation decided to buck their overlords in Britain, declare independence, and forge what was then the world’s only republican government. The cost of failure would have been death on the grounds of treason. Fortunately, these freedom fighters succeeded, and the world was better for it.

In their quest to defeat the British crown, the American “opposition” needed support from the outside. They found allies in France, Spain, and the Netherlands. This assistance was not only military: The Europeans also helped the colonists organize civically, create newspapers and pamphlets, deliver on governance, and generate economic and social policies. Without help from these friends, America’s patriots may not have won their campaign for independence.