So, who interferes in other countries’ elections more?
Sadly this database is from 1946 to 2000 (pdf), but it’s still interesting.
A total of 117 interventions were made by both countries.
The US made 81; 69 percent of total interventions.
the Russians interfered 36 times, for 31 percent of total interventions.
Overall, 11.9 percent of all elections during the period were interfered with.
Of course, most of this electoral interference happened before the fall of the USSR and before the internet, but I still think it’s interesting that back when the US was the “good guys” and “fighting for freedom,” they interfered in elections more than twice as often.
The same author has a study on whether these interventions were effective (pdf).
It turns out that, yes, in fact they often made the difference in who won. Percentage shifts of five or six percent were common.
I think people need to understand that, US hysteria over the last election aside, the US, since 2000, has also intervened in more foreign elections. Nor does the US always wait for elections, they heavily supported the Ukrainian Maidan protests which overthrew a government, they were behind the color revolutions, and so on.
This is why I always laugh when Americans get so upset about Russia interfering in the 2016 election. It’s like a bully who’s beaten up over a hundred people whining because a smaller bully gets in a good punch one day.
As I’ve said before, the action with integrity on this issue is not to scream, shout, or impose sanctions. It is to negotiate a peace treaty, where both sides promise (and mean) not to interfere in other countries’ elections.
If you think that’s absurd, or impossible, then the US has no standing except self-interest to complain about Russian electoral interference and there is no reason, except perceived self interest, for any non-American to care.
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