At War's End

Allfourteenmajorpeacebuildingmissionslaunchedbetween1989and1999sharedacommonstrategyforconsolidatingpeaceafterinternalconflicts:immediatedemocratizationandmarketization.Transformingwar-shatteredstatesintomarketdemocraciesisbasicallysound,butpushingthisprocesstooquicklycanhavedamaginganddestabilizingeffects.Theprocessofliberalizationisinherentlytumultuous,andcanunderminetheprospectsforstablepeace.Amoresensibleapproachtopost-conflictpeacebuildingwouldseek,first,toestablishasystemofdomesticinstitutionsthatarecapableofmanagingthedestabilizingeffectsofdemocratizationandmarketizationwithinpeacefulboundsandonlythenphaseinpoliticalandeconomicreformsslowly,asconditionswarrant.Peacebuildersshouldestablishthefoundationsofeffectivegovernmentalinstitutionspriortolaunchingwholesaleliberalizationprograms.Avoidingtheproblemsthatmarredmanypeacebuildingoperationsinthe1990swillrequirelonger-lastingand,ultimately,moreintrusiveformsofinterventioninthedomesticaffairsofthesestates.Thisbookwasfirstpublishedin2004.