 | ISBN: 978-1-58826-393-3 $65.00 | |
| ISBN: 978-1-58826-967-6 $65.00 | ||
| 2005/232 pages/LC: 2005018516 Also of interest: Electoral Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa: Causes and Consequences by Stephanie M. Burchard | ||
Lyons shows that the promise of elections can provide the incentive for the demilitarization of politics—-he transformation of institutions made powerful by war into those capable of sustaining peace—so that warring parties will in fact choose to change their strategies and adapt to peaceful electoral competition. It is this process of demilitarization that is in turn key to meaningful elections; elections alone, as has been seen repeatedly, are not enough to advance the dual goals of peace and democracy.
Incorporating evidence from a range of recent cases, Demilitarizing Politics offers a concrete strategy for peaceful change that can be implemented, and that can make a difference.
"Lyons captures the complex and often contradictory dynamics of elections in the wake of civil war peace agreements in his well-designed, thoroughly researched, and coherently argued book.... [Demilitarizing Politics] deserves the attention of scholars and policymakers alike."—Timothy D. Sisk, Perspectives on Politics
"A unique and important contribution.... Demilitarizing Politics offers meaningful theoretical insights and a wealth of information concerning conflict resolution processes."—Matthew Hoddie, International Studies Review
"Terrence Lyons cuts through the reams of policy advice on how to end civil wars successfully with a simple, elegant strategy about what must be done before elections in a peacebuilding process. This is the most important contribution to the topic in a decade."—Susan L. Woodward, City University of New York