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The civil war puzzle revisited: The use of post-conflict elections as part of peace agreements

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  • Wagner, Matthew L

Abstract

Can post-conflict elections be used as a tool for peace? Existing research shows that post conflict elections produce even more conflict. However, what much of the existing research fails to consider the instances of credible third party involvement in these elections. Using an event history model with a cross-national dataset of civil wars, I show that elections as part of a peace agreement, when overseen by third party observers, significantly reduce chances of a return to conflict. This evidence offers conditions that help reduce the likelihood of conflict, and has major ramifications for both scholars and policy-makers.

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  • Wagner, Matthew L, 2016. "The civil war puzzle revisited: The use of post-conflict elections as part of peace agreements," International Journal of Development and Conflict, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, vol. 6(1), pages 1-24.
    • Handle: RePEc:gok:ijdcv1:v:6:y:2016:i:1:p:1-24
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