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Reconstructing internal security in post-conflict societies: The challenge and successfulness of developing democratic police and justice institutions

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Abstract

‘Nation-building’ is an increasingly frequent activity of Western governments and the United Nations. This study examines the reconstruction of internal security institutions during nine recent nation-building missions: Panama, El Salvador, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, East Timor, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. It analyzes the activities of the United States and other countries in building viable and democratic police and justice institutions. The study draws conclusions from the comparative analysis and derives recommendations to help improve the performance in the delivery of post-conflict security. The results should be of interest to a broad audience of policymakers and academics concerned with the successes and shortcomings of past security efforts and improving future efforts.

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Notes

  1. This paper features components of and builds upon a substantially larger analysis of reconstructing internal security conducted by Jones et al (2005).

  2. On the effects of service suspension resulting from police strikes, for example, see Makinen and Takala (1980) and Clark (1969).

  3. While we have specific data on violence (homicides or deaths from terrorist or insurgent attacks) for seven of the areas we examine, we have no data on these measures for Haiti or East Timor. Therefore, for Haiti, we drew upon data from the World Bank Governance Indicators data set on ‘political stability’. These data show that from 1996 to 2000, political stability fell from 43.9 to 24.2. We could not find quantitative data for East Timor, so we made a qualitative judgment based on a review of UN documents and interviews with UN staff in New York. These materials led us to believe there was a modest decrease in violence from September 1999 through 2005. See Dobbins et al (2005) for further details.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, 560 Baker Hall, East Lansing, 48824, Michigan, USA

    Jeremy M Wilson

  2. RAND Corporation, 1776 Main Street, Santa Monica, 90401, California, USA

    Clifford A Grammich

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  1. Jeremy M Wilson
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  2. Clifford A Grammich
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Wilson, J., Grammich, C. Reconstructing internal security in post-conflict societies: The challenge and successfulness of developing democratic police and justice institutions. Secur J 24, 52–68 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1057/sj.2009.9

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