Electing Peace

'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