International organizations and the legitimation of governments: The role of electoral observation

The past twenty years has been a period of unprecedented change in the international political system. Within this period, two simultaneous and interrelated transformations have occurred. The first transformation is political: democratic transitions from authoritarianism have taken place in historic numbers across the globe. The second transformation is institutional: international organizations have been increasingly utilized as mechanisms for facilitating the relations among nations. A crucial intersection of these two transformations is seen in the role that international organizations have been called on to play as election observers in new democracies. The validation of election results by international organizations has become a means of establishing the international legitimacy of democratic governments.; This study will examine this new phenomenon in international politics: the use of electoral observation missions to verify the legitimacy of democratic governments to the international community and domestic constituencies. The dominant literature on democratization and regime change are unable to explain important puzzles such as; why sovereign states would voluntarily subject their legitimation processes to the scrutiny of external actors; and, what effect (if any) this practice has on the way international relations is conducted. Through an analysis of the historical development of this practice of electoral observation by the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the presentation of specific case studies, the conclusions from this study should confirm the influential role played by external actors in the democratization process.