Overview

Settlements to civil conflict, which are notably difficult to secure, sometimes contain clauses enabling the combatant sides to participate as political parties in post-conflict elections. In Electing Peace, Aila M. Matanock presents a theory that explains both the causes and the consequences of these provisions. Matanock draws on new worldwide cross-national data on electoral participation provisions, case studies in Central America, and interviews with representatives of all sides of the conflicts. She shows that electoral participation provisions, non-existent during the Cold War, are now in almost half of all peace agreements. Moreover, she demonstrates that these provisions are associated with an increase in the chance that peace will endure, potentially contributing to a global decline in civil conflict, a result which challenges prevailing pessimism about post-conflict elections. Matanock's theory and evidence also suggest a broader conception of international intervention than currently exists, identifying how these inclusive elections can enable external enforcement mechanisms and provide an alternative to military coercion by peacekeeping troops in many cases.

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9781316638811

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Reviews

'Matanock's terrific book sheds light on the relatively new phenomenon of crafting peace agreements that include provisions for the political participation of former rebels. She uses new data to deftly weave together analysis of peace agreements, peacekeeping, peace duration, elections, and election monitoring - topics that are typically considered separately - and provide a comprehensive and compelling argument for the importance of formally integrating former rebels into post-conflict governance.' Tanisha Fazal, University of Minnesota 'Almost half of all elections globally occur in the shadow of violent conflict, and post-conflict elections have become vital international tools of peacebuilding and democratization. Yet these elections, fraught with tension and high stakes, have an unenviable track record: as often as not, they lead to conflict recidivism and democratic decline. Against this backdrop, Aila Matanock's Electing Peace sounds a clarion call to keep the faith. The key is to create a path for yesterday's combatants to become tomorrow's politicians. When such a path is seen as credible by warring parties, they are more likely to trade tanks for campaign buses and guns for microphones. This is a must-read for academics and policymakers who aspire to build peace through democracy in conflict-afflicted countries.' Irfan Nooruddin, Georgetown University, Washington DC, and author of Elections in Hard Times 'Aila M. Matanock helps solve one of the hardest problems associated with civil wars: how to get a successful peace agreement without the help of a third party military intervention. Using new cross-national data on peace agreements and detailed analysis of Guatemala and El Salvador, Matanock shows us how electoral participation can help combatants enforce agreements. Bravo!' Barbara F. Walter, University of California, San Diego 'Matanock provides a refreshingly positive and constructive appraisal of democratic peacebuilding ... Matanock's study is a much-welcomed contribution to the field and one that will be of great value to both policymakers and academics.' Richard Lappin, Democratization

'Matanock's terrific book sheds light on the relatively new phenomenon of crafting peace agreements that include provisions for the political participation of former rebels. She uses new data to deftly weave together analysis of peace agreements, peacekeeping, peace duration, elections, and election monitoring - topics that are typically considered separately - and provide a comprehensive and compelling argument for the importance of formally integrating former rebels into post-conflict governance.' Tanisha Fazal, University of Minnesota 'Almost half of all elections globally occur in the shadow of violent conflict, and post-conflict elections have become vital international tools of peacebuilding and democratization. Yet these elections, fraught with tension and high stakes, have an unenviable track record: as often as not, they lead to conflict recidivism and democratic decline. Against this backdrop, Aila M. Matanock's Electing Peace sounds a clarion call to keep the faith. The key is to create a path for yesterday's combatants to become tomorrow's politicians. When such a path is seen as credible by warring parties, they are more likely to trade tanks for campaign buses and guns for microphones. This is a must-read for academics and policymakers who aspire to build peace through democracy in conflict-afflicted countries.' Irfan Nooruddin, Georgetown University, Washington DC, and author of Elections in Hard Times 'Aila M. Matanock helps solve one of the hardest problems associated with civil wars: how to get a successful peace agreement without the help of a third party military intervention. Using new cross-national data on peace agreements and detailed analysis of Guatemala and El Salvador, Matanock shows us how electoral participation can help combatants enforce agreements. Bravo!' Barbara F. Walter, University of California, San Diego 'Matanock provides a refreshingly positive and constructive appraisal of democratic peacebuilding ... Matanock's study is a much-welcomed contribution to the field and one that will be of great value to both policymakers and academics.' Richard Lappin, Democratization

Author Information

Aila M. Matanock is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research addresses international intervention, civil conflict, and weak states. Her Stanford University dissertation, on which this book is based, won the 2013 Helen Dwight Reid Award from the American Political Science Association for the best dissertation from the previous two years in international relations, law, and politics.

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