The perils of holding elections in a limited access order
Analysis of Afghanistan's experience in 2014
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 5680834 |
|---|---|
| Authors | William A Byrd (0000-0002-3400-1218, United States Institute of Peace, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 521-540 |
| Publication date | 2016-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Conflict Security and Development (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1467-8802 • E-ISSN: 1478-1174 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14678802.2016.1246137 |
| OpenAlex | W2559752305 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 11 |
This paper explores the process and outcome of Afghanistan’s 2014 presidential election from a limited access social order perspective, building on the influential work of Douglass North and colleagues on violence and social orders. Under the threat of postelection violence, nontransparent, internationally overseen bargaining led to a negotiated result that accommodated the runner-up in the initial vote count by creating a new high-level government position and giving him a share in ministerial nominations. Applying the North et al. framework and related analysis, the paper discusses the contradictions, clashes, and perverse effects that can arise when democratic institutional forms such as elections are imposed on a limited access order, especially a fragile one like Afghanistan. It argues for modest expectations and longer time horizons, focusing less on each individual election and more on developing effective political institutions (including not least robust political parties), avoiding international interventions that inadvertently worsen outcomes or create problems for the future, and not combining elections with other major ‘turning points’ such as withdrawal of foreign troops or sharp reductions in aid and international political support
Democracy · Development economics · Economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Presidential election · Presidential system · Psychological intervention · Sociology · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East · Psychology · Public Administration
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |