Derailing Democracy in Afghanistan

Elections in an Unstable Political Landscape

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Government, Elections, International, History
Cover of the book Derailing Democracy in Afghanistan by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson, Columbia University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Noah Coburn, Anna Larson ISBN: 9780231535748
Publisher: Columbia University Press Publication: December 24, 2013
Imprint: Columbia University Press Language: English
Author: Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
ISBN: 9780231535748
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Publication: December 24, 2013
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Language: English

Since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, researchers, policymakers, and the media have failed to consider the long-term implications of the country's post-conflict elections. Based on fieldwork in provinces across the country and interviews with more than seven hundred candidates, officials, community leaders, and voters, this book builds an in-depth portrait of Afghanistan's recent elections as experienced by individuals and communities, while revealing how the elections have in fact actively contributed to instability, undermining the prospects of democracy in Afghanistan.

Merging political science with anthropology, Noah Coburn and Anna Larson document how political leaders, commanders, and the new ruling elite have used elections to further their own interests and deprive local communities of access to political opportunities. They retrace presidential, parliamentary, and provincial council elections over the past decade and expose the role of international actors in promoting the polls as one-off events, detached from the broader political landscape. This approach to elections has allowed existing local powerholders to solidify their grip on resources and opportunities, derailing democratization processes and entrenching a deeper disengagement from central government. Western powers, Coburn and Larson argue, need to reevaluate their most basic assumptions about elections, democracy, and international intervention if they hope to prevent similar outcomes in the future.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, researchers, policymakers, and the media have failed to consider the long-term implications of the country's post-conflict elections. Based on fieldwork in provinces across the country and interviews with more than seven hundred candidates, officials, community leaders, and voters, this book builds an in-depth portrait of Afghanistan's recent elections as experienced by individuals and communities, while revealing how the elections have in fact actively contributed to instability, undermining the prospects of democracy in Afghanistan.

Merging political science with anthropology, Noah Coburn and Anna Larson document how political leaders, commanders, and the new ruling elite have used elections to further their own interests and deprive local communities of access to political opportunities. They retrace presidential, parliamentary, and provincial council elections over the past decade and expose the role of international actors in promoting the polls as one-off events, detached from the broader political landscape. This approach to elections has allowed existing local powerholders to solidify their grip on resources and opportunities, derailing democratization processes and entrenching a deeper disengagement from central government. Western powers, Coburn and Larson argue, need to reevaluate their most basic assumptions about elections, democracy, and international intervention if they hope to prevent similar outcomes in the future.

More books from Columbia University Press

Cover of the book Robert K. Merton by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Childhood, Youth, and Social Work in Transformation by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book The Wrath of Capital by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Reds at the Blackboard by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Graphic Women by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Antitrust and the Formation of the Postwar World by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Beasts Head for Home by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Pathologies of Reason by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Umami by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Acts of God and Man by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Hidden Atrocities by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Losing Control? by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Globalized Arts by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book In Translation by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
Cover of the book Paul's Summons to Messianic Life by Noah Coburn, Anna Larson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy