International democracy assistance for peacebuilding : Cambodia and beyond / Sorpong Peou.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Peou, Sorpong.

Series:

Rethinking peace and conflict studies

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Peace-building--Cambodia.

Peace-building.

Democratization--Cambodia.

Democratization.

Economic assistance--Cambodia.

Economic assistance.

Cambodia--Politics and government--1979-1993.

Cambodia.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

x, 261 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

Summary:

International Democracy Assistance for Peacebuilding seeks to explain why international donors may succeed in putting war-torn countries on the path of democratic transition and negative peace, but fail to consolidate the gains they make. Cambodia provides an excellent example for peace builders: the international donor community spent billions of dollars rebuilding the country between 1992 and 2006, but democracy remains unconsolidated and may even be receding towards 'electoral dictatorship'. Critical of neo-liberal institutionalism, this book advances a theory called 'complex realist institutionalism' to explain in the limits international democracy assistance to post-war societies. Institutions matter if they are strong, but institution building is complex and extremely difficult. Institutional weaknesses allow elites to violate the democratic procedural rules, principles, and norms of the political game. Sympathetic to, but not uncritical of, historical and normative institutionalism, this book reveals the structural constraints and impediments that interfere with the process of democratic consolidation.

Contents:

Part I The Analytical Framework 7

1 Democratic Regime Consolidation and International Democracy Assistance 9

2 Institutional Structure and Structural Challenges 21

3 Research Methodology: Cambodia as Case Study 33

Part II Power vs. Democratic Consolidation 47

4 Electoral Procedural Rules under Constraint 49

5 "Liberal Norms under Stress 61

6 Liberty under Pressure 73

Part III The Limits of Institutionalization 85

7 State Institutions' Underdevelopment 87

8 Political Society's Underdevelopment 100

9 Civil Society's Underdevelopment 112

Part IV Structural Challenges to Institutionalization 125

10 Non-material Constraints 127

11 Economic Impediments 139

12 Political Impediments 151

Part V The Limits of Democracy Assistance 165

13 Limits of Assistance for Institution Building 167

14 Limits of Economic Assistance 180

15 Limits of Political Assistance 193

Conclusion: Toward Complex Realist Institutionalism 207.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780230521377

0230521371

OCLC:

163313676