This chapter examines democracy promotion as a component of development cooperation. While donors justify it normatively and instrumentally, external support has yielded mixed results, strengthening elections and civil society but rarely consolidating democracy. The chapter traces historical influences, donor strategies, and spending trends, noting tensions between ideals and interests. It analyses electoral assistance, decentralisation, and human rights promotion, showing that effectiveness depends on context, participation, and structural conditions. Against global autocratisation trends, democracy promotion remains fragmented and contested, raising doubts about its exportability as a model but reaffirming its enduring normative appeal.