Power Sharing and Democracy in Post-Civil War States: The Art of the Possible

Authors

Caroline A. Hartzell, Gettysburg CollegeFollow
Matthew Hoddie, Townson UniversityFollow

Document Type

Book

Files

Description

Power Sharing and Democracy in Post-Civil War States examines the challenge of promoting democracy in the aftermath of civil war. Hartzell and Hoddie argue that minimalist democracy is the most realistic form of democracy to which states emerging from civil war violence can aspire. The adoption of power-sharing institutions within civil war settlements helps mitigate insecurity and facilitate democracy's emergence. Power sharing promotes 'democratization from above' by limiting the capacity of the state to engage in predatory behavior, and 'democratization from below' by empowering citizens to participate in politics. Drawing on cross-national and case study evidence, Hartzell and Hoddie find that post-civil war countries that adopt extensive power sharing are ultimately more successful in transitioning to minimalist democracy than countries that do not. Power Sharing and Democracy in Post-Civil War States presents a new and hopeful understanding of what democracy can look like and how it can be fostered.

ISBN

9781108775724

Publication Date

6-2020

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

City

Cambridge

Department 1

Political Science

Recommended Citation

Hartzell, Caroline A., and Matthew Hoddie. Power Sharing and Democracy in Post-Civil War States: the Art of the Possible. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2020.

Required Publisher's Statement

This book is available from the publisher’s website.