The Globalisation of Political and Civil Society and its Effects on Democratisation. Evidence from US-Tunisia Relations (2004–2010) During the early 2000s the neoliberal economic experiment in Tunisia was losing strength, gradually causing domestic discontent and internal upheavals. Within the national elite frustration was also growing steadily, leading some actors to seek ‘aid beyond the borders’. Against this backdrop, Ben Ali’s tightening repression was perceived as unacceptable by the US administration, which during the last official meeting in 2004 in Washington urged him to bring about a number of liberalising steps in a short space of time. As none of the requirements were fulfilled, the US raised its critical profile vis-à-vis Ben Ali. While maintaining good official relations at the diplomatic level, a multifaceted range of agencies, think tanks, academic institutions and international lobbies associated to the US administration implemented programs and launched initiatives in order to strengthen transnational ties with relevant members of the civil and political communities. Analysing data from the archives of the US State department, US agencies, US institutions and relying on a number of semi-structured interviews in Washington (DC) and Tunisia, this paper argues that Tunisia’s journey to Ben Ali’s demise was not exclusively a domestic game among political and social players. Without claiming any direct involvement by the United States in the planning of the revolution, this paper demonstrates that a number of interactions promoted by the US, including informal talks and training programs with Tunisian political and civil societies, lowered the geopolitical significance of Ben Ali’s hold on power. Moreover it illustrates how the rise of international interactions via embassies, international conferences and international lobbies enabled the US in identifying?–?and bargaining?–?with the alternative coalitions of power, potentially filling any vacuum in the event of Ben Ali’s demise. This article provides empirical data to test the theories of the international dimension of regime change (Pridham 1993, Whitehead 1996, Yilmaz 2002, Levitsky and Way 2010) in the only democratised Arab country, where dominant domestic explanations have hitherto prevailed. In conclusion, drawing on previous research by the author, this paper attempts to frame a theoretical template for explaining what the international variables are essential in allowing a transition to democracy in the MENA regions.