i. Post-colonial organizations
- These were created by the former colonial powers, to loosely associate themselves with former colonies
- Membership is voluntary, and in some cases can be revoked if a member state loses some objective criteria (usually a requirement for democratic governance)
- The organizations serve cultural, economic, and political purposes between the associated countries
Former Colonial Power |
Organisation |
Founded |
United Kingdom |
Commonwealth of Nations |
1931 |
France |
French Union |
1946 |
France |
French Community |
1958 |
Spain & Portugal |
Organisation of Ibero-American States |
1991 |
Portugal |
Community of Portuguese Language Countries |
1996 |
Russia |
Commonwealth of Independent States |
1991 |
United States |
Commonwealths |
1934 |
On the whole, a 2019 study found that “democracy levels increased sharply as colonies gained internal autonomy in the period immediately before their independence. However, conflict, revenue growth, and economic growth did not systematically differ before and after independence.”