Political Mobilisation and Institutional Development in the Aftermath of Civil War

Abstract

In the last few decades, the political inclusion of rebel groups into competitive electoral politics has become the norm in contemporary peacebuilding. In fact, since the end of the Cold War, rebel group inclusion into formal politics following the end of civil war, correlates positively with peace settlement durability and long-term political stability. At the same time, former rebel groups’ chances of survival as parties and winning elections is determined both by the specific peacebuilding mechanisms put in place and by institutional context within which they mobilize. How do policies interact with the parties’ desire to seek representation? How does the inclusion of former rebel groups into politics impact on party system development? When and to what extent do war-related factors trump the effects of institutional design? Overall, the papers in this panel address the question of how political mobilization, peacebuilding policies, and institutional development interact to shape specific outcomes concerning stability and democracy in civil war affected countries.