Escribà-Folch, AbelMuradova, LalaRodon i Casarramona, Antoni2022-01-262021Escribà-Folch A, Muradova LH, Rodon T. The effects of autocratic characteristics on public opinion towards democracy promotion policies: a conjoint analysis. Foreign Policy Analysis. 2021 Jan;17(1):140-61. DOI: 10.1093/fpa/oraa0161743-8586http://hdl.handle.net/10230/52330Does the level of public support for democracy promotion policies vary with the characteristics of potential autocratic targets? We conduct an experimental study with a conjoint design on a sample of 1,464 US citizens that manipulates several core characteristics of potential autocratic targets. We then compare citizens’ preferences with the cross-national evidence testing the determinants of democracy promotion success. We find that respondents support the use of coercive measures (military action and sanctions) precisely in contexts where, according to comparative research, these instruments are unlikely to foster democratization: oil-rich, exclusionary, personalistic regimes with no elections, and with no ties to the United States. Conversely, the characteristics driving public support for the use of democracy aid are more consistent with those favoring effectiveness: autocratic regimes with multi-party elections and with links to the United States. These findings have important policy implications by contributing to understand the micro-foundations of target selection.application/pdfeng© Oxford University Press. This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Foreign Policy Analysis following peer review. The version of record Escribà-Folch A, Muradova LH, Rodon T. The effects of autocratic characteristics on public opinion towards democracy promotion policies: a conjoint analysis. Foreign Policy Analysis. 2021 Jan;17(1):140-61. DOI: 10.1093/fpa/oraa016 is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/fpa/article/17/1/oraa016/5891101.info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1093/fpa/oraa016Public opinionDemocracy promotionAutocratic regimesConjoint analysisMilitary interventionEconomic sanctionsDemocracy assistanceDictatorshipinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess