Elections In Dangerous Places

From Afghanistan and Iraq to Haiti, Cote d'Ivoire, and Egypt, ill-timed, fraudulent, or poorly managed elections have led to discord, violence, and even regime change. While much of the international community views elections as a critical milestone in the stabilization of war-torn societies,Elections in Dangerous Placesshows how flawed elections can act as democracy in reverse and diminish political legitimacy and stable governance. Through a series of frank and incisive case studies of conflicted countries, contributors' chapters challenge the centrality and timing of elections as a key pillar of reconstruction at a war's end. They underline the dangers in rushing elections, compromising principles, and lowering the bar for what constitutes free and fair elections in situations of conflict. The authors also underline the economic cost of elections in uncertain political situations and argue that global taxpayers, who must bear the burden, are justified in questioning the value of ill-timed elections. A candid and important study of political turmoil,Elections in Dangerous Placesprovides valuable lessons and practical advice on how to better mitigate conflict and violence before, during, and after highly charged elections.

Through a series of frank and incisive case studies of conflicted countries, contributors' chapters challenge the centrality and timing of elections as a key pillar of reconstruction at a war's end. They underline the dangers in rushing elections, compromising principles, and lowering the bar for what constitutes free and fair elections in situations of conflict. The authors also underline the economic cost of elections in uncertain political situations and argue that global taxpayers, who must bear the burden, are justified in questioning the value of ill-timed elections. A candid and important study of political turmoil, Elections in Dangerous Places provides valuable lessons and practical advice on how to better mitigate conflict and violence before, during, and after highly charged elections. Contributors include Thomas S. Axworthy (Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation), Stephen Brown (University of Ottawa), David Gillies (The North-South Institute, Ottawa), Christian R. Hennemeyer (Bridging the Divide), Lisa Kammerud (International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Washington, DC), Johann Kriegler (Electoral Complaints Commission, Afghanistan and IFES Executive Advisory Council), Marc A. Lemieux (University of Ottawa), Khalid Mustafa Medani (McGill University), Susanne D. Mueller (Visiting Researcher at Boston University's African Studies Center), Ben Reilly (Australian National University and Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies), Gerald J. Schmitz (M.A., University of Saskatchewan; PhD, Carleton University), Sara Staino (International IDEA), Vincent Tohbi (graduate, National Administration School, Abidjan, Ivory Coast), Francesc Vendrell (Princeton University), and Eugenia Zorbas (Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade).

“Collier has made a substantial contribution to current discussions. His evidence-based approach is a worthwhile corrective to the assumptions about democracy that too often tend to dominate when Western policy makers talk about the bottom billion.” —The New York Times Book Review “Before President Obama makes a move he would do well to read Professor Paul Collier’s Wars, Guns, and Votes. . . Unlike many academics Collier comes up with very concrete proposals and some ingenious solutions.” — The Times (London) In Wars, Guns, and Votes, esteemed author Paul Collier offers a groundbreaking, radical look at the world’s most violent, corrupt societies, how they got that way, and what can be done to break the cycle. George Soros calls Paul Collier “one of the most original minds in the world today,” and Wars, Guns, and Votes, like Collier’s previous award-winning book The Bottom Billion, is essential reading for anyone interested in current events, war, poverty, economics, or international business.

Investigates violence and poverty in developing countries to argue that the spread of elections and peace settlements may lead to a better, democratic world but shares a cautionary warning about the prevalence of ethnic divisions and policy failures.

Cet ouvrage couvre la période qui va de 1758 à nos jours.

Nine contributors offer pioneering work on the scope and nature of electoral violence in Africa; investigate the forms electoral violence takes; and analyze the factors that precipitate, reduce, and prevent violence. The book breaks new ground with findings from the only known dataset of electoral violence in sub-Saharan Africa, spanning 1990 to 2008. Specific case studies of electoral violence in countries such as Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria provide the context to further understanding the circumstances under which electoral violence takes place, recedes, or recurs.

From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe the world has witnessed a rising tide of contentious elections ending in heated partisan debates, court challenges, street protests, and legitimacy challenges. In some cases, disputes have been settled peacefully through legal appeals and electoral reforms. In the worst cases, however, disputes have triggered bloodshed or government downfalls and military coups. Contentious elections are characterized by major challenges, with different degrees of severity, to the legitimacy of electoral actors, procedures, or outcomes. Despite growing concern, until recently little research has studied this phenomenon. The theory unfolded in this volume suggests that problems of electoral malpractice erode confidence in electoral authorities, spur peaceful protests demonstrating against the outcome, and, in the most severe cases, lead to outbreaks of conflict and violence. Understanding this process is of vital concern for domestic reformers and the international community, as well as attracting a growing new research agenda. The editors, from the Electoral Integrity Project, bring together scholars considering a range of fresh evidence– analyzing public opinion surveys of confidence in elections and voter turnout within specific countries, as well as expert perceptions of the existence of peaceful electoral demonstrations, and survey and aggregate data monitoring outbreaks of electoral violence. The book provides insights invaluable for studies in democracy and democratization, comparative politics, comparative elections, peace and conflict studies, comparative sociology, international development, comparative public opinion, political behavior, political institutions, and public policy.

Technology Integration and Transformation of Elections in Africa serves as a standard textbook and a reference guide to students in both undergraduate and graduate programs in tertiary institutions where elaborate discourse on the impact of technology to political elections and advancements across the continental Africa have continued to gain weight. The rationale in publishing this textbook far more outweighs its timeliness but speaks highly of its significance because it deals with technology integration and transformation of elections in Africa, a region whose elections has been continuously marred by corruption and incessant fraudulent activities perpetrated by both the citizens, various political parties and the umpires whose responsibilities were to present a credible election. Elections in Africa draws international attention and the news is seldom good. For instance, the elections in Kenya, fueled violence that left 1,500 dead and 300,000 displaced, while elections in Zimbabwe suffered from massive fraud and brutal suppression. In Nigeria in 1999, and 2011, the result of the elections were in shambles and some of the parties that lost the election took to the street resulting in the death of significant percentage of innocent people.