Electoral Violence in the Western Balkans

Electoral Violence in the Western Balkans

Author: Michal Mochtak

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-07-20

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 1351846515

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Since the end of the Cold War there have been a number of cases where the democratization process has been turbulent, or even violent. Addressing electoral violence, its evolution and impact in the Western Balkans, this book explores the conflict logic of election and tries to understand its basic patterns. Two decades of electoral competition in the region are analysed to identify an interesting evolution of electoral violence in terms of forms, actors, motivations and dynamics. By identifying the potential drivers of electoral violence and explaining the escalation and stimulus of violence-related events, the author combines a theoretical approach with original data to emphasise the variability of the phenomenon and its evolution in the region. The book will appeal to students and scholars of post-communist Europe and democratisation processes and the Western Balkans in particular. It should also be of interest to political advisors and those involved in developing or implementing democratisation programmes.


Book Synopsis Electoral Violence in the Western Balkans by : Michal Mochtak

Download or read book Electoral Violence in the Western Balkans written by Michal Mochtak and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-07-20 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the end of the Cold War there have been a number of cases where the democratization process has been turbulent, or even violent. Addressing electoral violence, its evolution and impact in the Western Balkans, this book explores the conflict logic of election and tries to understand its basic patterns. Two decades of electoral competition in the region are analysed to identify an interesting evolution of electoral violence in terms of forms, actors, motivations and dynamics. By identifying the potential drivers of electoral violence and explaining the escalation and stimulus of violence-related events, the author combines a theoretical approach with original data to emphasise the variability of the phenomenon and its evolution in the region. The book will appeal to students and scholars of post-communist Europe and democratisation processes and the Western Balkans in particular. It should also be of interest to political advisors and those involved in developing or implementing democratisation programmes.

Party Politics in the Western Balkans

Party Politics in the Western Balkans

Author: Vera Stojarová

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-10-02

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 1135235848

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This book examines the development of party politics in the region of Western Balkans, describing party politics and analyzing inter-ethnic or inter-party cooperation and competition. Beginning with a thematic overview of the electoral systems and their link to the party systems, the authors consider the legacy of socialist/communist parties; compare the nationalist parties in the region; and explore opportunities for the national minorities. The book then provides detailed country case studies on Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania that: Provide an overview of the development of the respective political system since 1990, presenting key changes over time Depict important political issues in each of these countries and explains parties ́ particular policies in relation to these issues Discuss the level of democracy as well as ethnic minorities in the given states Explore the extent to which nationalism has dominated party organization, the stability of the parties, important changes in the party policies, and their electoral performance and personalisation of the parties Bringing together a range of specialist experts on the Balkans, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of party politics, comparative European politics, post-communist politics, nationalism, Southern European and Western Balkan politics.


Book Synopsis Party Politics in the Western Balkans by : Vera Stojarová

Download or read book Party Politics in the Western Balkans written by Vera Stojarová and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-10-02 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the development of party politics in the region of Western Balkans, describing party politics and analyzing inter-ethnic or inter-party cooperation and competition. Beginning with a thematic overview of the electoral systems and their link to the party systems, the authors consider the legacy of socialist/communist parties; compare the nationalist parties in the region; and explore opportunities for the national minorities. The book then provides detailed country case studies on Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania that: Provide an overview of the development of the respective political system since 1990, presenting key changes over time Depict important political issues in each of these countries and explains parties ́ particular policies in relation to these issues Discuss the level of democracy as well as ethnic minorities in the given states Explore the extent to which nationalism has dominated party organization, the stability of the parties, important changes in the party policies, and their electoral performance and personalisation of the parties Bringing together a range of specialist experts on the Balkans, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of party politics, comparative European politics, post-communist politics, nationalism, Southern European and Western Balkan politics.

Western Intervention in the Balkans

Western Intervention in the Balkans

Author: Roger D. Petersen

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2011-09-30

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 1139503308

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Conflicts involve powerful experiences. The residue of these experiences is captured by the concept and language of emotion. Indiscriminate killing creates fear; targeted violence produces anger and a desire for vengeance; political status reversals spawn resentment; cultural prejudices sustain ethnic contempt. These emotions can become resources for political entrepreneurs. A broad range of Western interventions are based on a view of human nature as narrowly rational. Correspondingly, intervention policy generally aims to alter material incentives ('sticks and carrots') to influence behavior. In response, poorer and weaker actors who wish to block or change this Western implemented 'game' use emotions as resources. This book examines the strategic use of emotion in the conflicts and interventions occurring in the Western Balkans over a twenty-year period. The book concentrates on the conflicts among Albanian and Slavic populations (Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, South Serbia), along with some comparisons to Bosnia.


Book Synopsis Western Intervention in the Balkans by : Roger D. Petersen

Download or read book Western Intervention in the Balkans written by Roger D. Petersen and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011-09-30 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conflicts involve powerful experiences. The residue of these experiences is captured by the concept and language of emotion. Indiscriminate killing creates fear; targeted violence produces anger and a desire for vengeance; political status reversals spawn resentment; cultural prejudices sustain ethnic contempt. These emotions can become resources for political entrepreneurs. A broad range of Western interventions are based on a view of human nature as narrowly rational. Correspondingly, intervention policy generally aims to alter material incentives ('sticks and carrots') to influence behavior. In response, poorer and weaker actors who wish to block or change this Western implemented 'game' use emotions as resources. This book examines the strategic use of emotion in the conflicts and interventions occurring in the Western Balkans over a twenty-year period. The book concentrates on the conflicts among Albanian and Slavic populations (Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia, South Serbia), along with some comparisons to Bosnia.

Violence as a Generative Force

Violence as a Generative Force

Author: Max Bergholz

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2016-11-29

Total Pages: 462

ISBN-13: 1501706438

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During two terrifying days and nights in early September 1941, the lives of nearly two thousand men, women, and children were taken savagely by their neighbors in Kulen Vakuf, a small rural community straddling today’s border between northwest Bosnia and Croatia. This frenzy—in which victims were butchered with farm tools, drowned in rivers, and thrown into deep vertical caves—was the culmination of a chain of local massacres that began earlier in the summer. In Violence as a Generative Force, Max Bergholz tells the story of the sudden and perplexing descent of this once peaceful multiethnic community into extreme violence. This deeply researched microhistory provides provocative insights to questions of global significance: What causes intercommunal violence? How does such violence between neighbors affect their identities and relations? Contrary to a widely held view that sees nationalism leading to violence, Bergholz reveals how the upheavals wrought by local killing actually created dramatically new perceptions of ethnicity—of oneself, supposed "brothers," and those perceived as "others." As a consequence, the violence forged new communities, new forms and configurations of power, and new practices of nationalism. The history of this community was marked by an unexpected explosion of locally executed violence by the few, which functioned as a generative force in transforming the identities, relations, and lives of the many. The story of this largely unknown Balkan community in 1941 provides a powerful means through which to rethink fundamental assumptions about the interrelationships among ethnicity, nationalism, and violence, both during World War II and more broadly throughout the world.


Book Synopsis Violence as a Generative Force by : Max Bergholz

Download or read book Violence as a Generative Force written by Max Bergholz and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2016-11-29 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During two terrifying days and nights in early September 1941, the lives of nearly two thousand men, women, and children were taken savagely by their neighbors in Kulen Vakuf, a small rural community straddling today’s border between northwest Bosnia and Croatia. This frenzy—in which victims were butchered with farm tools, drowned in rivers, and thrown into deep vertical caves—was the culmination of a chain of local massacres that began earlier in the summer. In Violence as a Generative Force, Max Bergholz tells the story of the sudden and perplexing descent of this once peaceful multiethnic community into extreme violence. This deeply researched microhistory provides provocative insights to questions of global significance: What causes intercommunal violence? How does such violence between neighbors affect their identities and relations? Contrary to a widely held view that sees nationalism leading to violence, Bergholz reveals how the upheavals wrought by local killing actually created dramatically new perceptions of ethnicity—of oneself, supposed "brothers," and those perceived as "others." As a consequence, the violence forged new communities, new forms and configurations of power, and new practices of nationalism. The history of this community was marked by an unexpected explosion of locally executed violence by the few, which functioned as a generative force in transforming the identities, relations, and lives of the many. The story of this largely unknown Balkan community in 1941 provides a powerful means through which to rethink fundamental assumptions about the interrelationships among ethnicity, nationalism, and violence, both during World War II and more broadly throughout the world.

Electoral Violence, Corruption, and Political Order

Electoral Violence, Corruption, and Political Order

Author: Sarah Birch

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2020-07-21

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 0691203644

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A comprehensive look at how violence has been used to manipulate competitive electoral processes around the world since World War II Throughout their history, political elections have been threatened by conflict, and the use of force has in the past several decades been an integral part of electoral processes in a significant number of contemporary states. However, the study of elections has yet to produce a comprehensive account of electoral violence. Drawing on cross-national data sets together with fourteen detailed case studies from around the world, Electoral Violence, Corruption, and Political Order offers a global comparative analysis of violent electoral practices since the Second World War. Sarah Birch shows that the way power is structured in society largely explains why elections are at risk of violence in some contexts but not in others. Countries with high levels of corruption and weak democratic institutions are especially vulnerable to disruptions of electoral peace. She examines how corrupt actors use violence to back up other forms of electoral manipulation, including vote buying and ballot stuffing. In addition to investigating why electoral violence takes place, Birch considers what can be done to prevent it in the future, arguing that electoral authority and the quality of electoral governance are more important than the formal design of electoral institutions. Delving into a deeply influential aspect of political malpractice, Electoral Violence, Corruption, and Political Order explores the circumstances in which individuals choose to employ violence as an electoral strategy.


Book Synopsis Electoral Violence, Corruption, and Political Order by : Sarah Birch

Download or read book Electoral Violence, Corruption, and Political Order written by Sarah Birch and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-07-21 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive look at how violence has been used to manipulate competitive electoral processes around the world since World War II Throughout their history, political elections have been threatened by conflict, and the use of force has in the past several decades been an integral part of electoral processes in a significant number of contemporary states. However, the study of elections has yet to produce a comprehensive account of electoral violence. Drawing on cross-national data sets together with fourteen detailed case studies from around the world, Electoral Violence, Corruption, and Political Order offers a global comparative analysis of violent electoral practices since the Second World War. Sarah Birch shows that the way power is structured in society largely explains why elections are at risk of violence in some contexts but not in others. Countries with high levels of corruption and weak democratic institutions are especially vulnerable to disruptions of electoral peace. She examines how corrupt actors use violence to back up other forms of electoral manipulation, including vote buying and ballot stuffing. In addition to investigating why electoral violence takes place, Birch considers what can be done to prevent it in the future, arguing that electoral authority and the quality of electoral governance are more important than the formal design of electoral institutions. Delving into a deeply influential aspect of political malpractice, Electoral Violence, Corruption, and Political Order explores the circumstances in which individuals choose to employ violence as an electoral strategy.

Violence in African Elections

Violence in African Elections

Author: Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs

Publisher: Zed Books Ltd.

Published: 2018-04-15

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 1786992310

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Multiparty elections have become the bellwether by which all democracies are judged, and the spread of these systems across Africa has been widely hailed as a sign of the continent’s progress towards stability and prosperity. But such elections bring their own challenges, particularly the often intense internecine violence following disputed results. While the consequences of such violence can be profound, undermining the legitimacy of the democratic process and in some cases plunging countries into civil war or renewed dictatorship, little is known about the causes. By mapping, analysing and comparing instances of election violence in different localities across Africa – including Kenya, Ivory Coast and Uganda – this collection of detailed case studies sheds light on the underlying dynamics and sub-national causes behind electoral conflicts, revealing them to be the result of a complex interplay between democratisation and the older, patronage-based system of ‘Big Man’ politics. Essential for scholars and policymakers across the social sciences and humanities interested in democratization, peace-keeping and peace studies, Violence in African Elections provides important insights into why some communities prove more prone to electoral violence than others, offering practical suggestions for preventing violence through improved electoral monitoring, voter education, and international assistance.


Book Synopsis Violence in African Elections by : Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs

Download or read book Violence in African Elections written by Mimmi Söderberg Kovacs and published by Zed Books Ltd.. This book was released on 2018-04-15 with total page 433 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Multiparty elections have become the bellwether by which all democracies are judged, and the spread of these systems across Africa has been widely hailed as a sign of the continent’s progress towards stability and prosperity. But such elections bring their own challenges, particularly the often intense internecine violence following disputed results. While the consequences of such violence can be profound, undermining the legitimacy of the democratic process and in some cases plunging countries into civil war or renewed dictatorship, little is known about the causes. By mapping, analysing and comparing instances of election violence in different localities across Africa – including Kenya, Ivory Coast and Uganda – this collection of detailed case studies sheds light on the underlying dynamics and sub-national causes behind electoral conflicts, revealing them to be the result of a complex interplay between democratisation and the older, patronage-based system of ‘Big Man’ politics. Essential for scholars and policymakers across the social sciences and humanities interested in democratization, peace-keeping and peace studies, Violence in African Elections provides important insights into why some communities prove more prone to electoral violence than others, offering practical suggestions for preventing violence through improved electoral monitoring, voter education, and international assistance.

Military, Politics and Democratization in Southern Africa

Military, Politics and Democratization in Southern Africa

Author: Tendai Chari

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-09-11

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 3031352297

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This book explores multiple challenges faced by democratization in Southern Africa. Applying a wider lens to the concept of political transition and employing a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, the contributions gathered here explore residual political cultural practices that hinder democratic consolidation in Southern Africa. Presenting various case studies, the book tackles themes such as the military-political nexus, leadership renewal, constitutionalism, electoral politics, election violence, marginalization of women, civil society and political transition, media framing and transitional justice. Written from a multidisciplinary perspective and drawing on empirical data from multiple sources, this edited volume challenges orthodox conceptualizations of political transition. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of political science, African studies, and related fields, as well as policy-makers and professionals interested in the latest political developments in Southern Africa.


Book Synopsis Military, Politics and Democratization in Southern Africa by : Tendai Chari

Download or read book Military, Politics and Democratization in Southern Africa written by Tendai Chari and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-09-11 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores multiple challenges faced by democratization in Southern Africa. Applying a wider lens to the concept of political transition and employing a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, the contributions gathered here explore residual political cultural practices that hinder democratic consolidation in Southern Africa. Presenting various case studies, the book tackles themes such as the military-political nexus, leadership renewal, constitutionalism, electoral politics, election violence, marginalization of women, civil society and political transition, media framing and transitional justice. Written from a multidisciplinary perspective and drawing on empirical data from multiple sources, this edited volume challenges orthodox conceptualizations of political transition. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of political science, African studies, and related fields, as well as policy-makers and professionals interested in the latest political developments in Southern Africa.

Gender Mainstreaming in Counter-terrorism Efforts in the Western Balkans

Gender Mainstreaming in Counter-terrorism Efforts in the Western Balkans

Author: M. Hadji-Janev

Publisher: IOS Press

Published: 2021-11-25

Total Pages: 140

ISBN-13: 1643682334

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Amplified by a volatile security environment, technology and globalization, terrorism and violent extremism have become a genuine threat on a global level, and the ability of terrorist groups to capitalize on local issues such as poverty and inequality have helped to fuel the process of radicalization and recruitment. The region of the Western Balkans is not immune to these trends, and the gender component has been recognized as an important aspect in efforts to counter and prevent such practices. This book presents edited contributions delivered at the NATO Advanced Training Course (ATC) “Gender Mainstreaming in Counter-terrorism Efforts in Western Balkans” held from 16 to 21 May 2021. The event was designed to explore gender perspectives in counter-terrorism efforts in the Western Balkans and in the wider security-sector, and to analyze drivers to radicalization through the lens of gender. This ATC brought together more than 50 military and civilian participants from 7 countries in the Western Balkans and south-eastern Europe and 35 expert lecturers. Topics include the legal and political framework of gender mainstreaming; the role of technology; the drivers, motivations and roles of women in radicalization and extremist groups; counter-terrorism and gender; gender-sensitive approaches to counter terrorism; gendered perspectives from the frontline; the prospects for women’s leadership roles in community-based approaches; and challenges to the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in the Western Balkans. Highlighting critical components and providing a unique insight which contributes to the academic debate on gender mainstreaming in P/CVE and CT efforts, the book will be of interest to all those involved in countering the spread of terrorism worldwide.


Book Synopsis Gender Mainstreaming in Counter-terrorism Efforts in the Western Balkans by : M. Hadji-Janev

Download or read book Gender Mainstreaming in Counter-terrorism Efforts in the Western Balkans written by M. Hadji-Janev and published by IOS Press. This book was released on 2021-11-25 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Amplified by a volatile security environment, technology and globalization, terrorism and violent extremism have become a genuine threat on a global level, and the ability of terrorist groups to capitalize on local issues such as poverty and inequality have helped to fuel the process of radicalization and recruitment. The region of the Western Balkans is not immune to these trends, and the gender component has been recognized as an important aspect in efforts to counter and prevent such practices. This book presents edited contributions delivered at the NATO Advanced Training Course (ATC) “Gender Mainstreaming in Counter-terrorism Efforts in Western Balkans” held from 16 to 21 May 2021. The event was designed to explore gender perspectives in counter-terrorism efforts in the Western Balkans and in the wider security-sector, and to analyze drivers to radicalization through the lens of gender. This ATC brought together more than 50 military and civilian participants from 7 countries in the Western Balkans and south-eastern Europe and 35 expert lecturers. Topics include the legal and political framework of gender mainstreaming; the role of technology; the drivers, motivations and roles of women in radicalization and extremist groups; counter-terrorism and gender; gender-sensitive approaches to counter terrorism; gendered perspectives from the frontline; the prospects for women’s leadership roles in community-based approaches; and challenges to the implementation of UNSCR 1325 in the Western Balkans. Highlighting critical components and providing a unique insight which contributes to the academic debate on gender mainstreaming in P/CVE and CT efforts, the book will be of interest to all those involved in countering the spread of terrorism worldwide.

Islam and Political Violence

Islam and Political Violence

Author: Shahram Akbarzadeh

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2010-06-30

Total Pages: 266

ISBN-13: 0857713760

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How do we engage with the pressing challenges of xenophobia, radicalism and security in the age of the 'war on terror'? The widely felt sense of insecurity in the West is shared by Muslims both within and outside Western societies. Growing Islamic militancy and resulting increased security measures by Western powers have contributed to a pervasive sense among Muslims of being under attack (both physically and culturally). "Islam and Political Violence" brings together the current debate on the uneasy and potentially mutually destructive relationship between the Muslim world and the West and argues we are on a dangerous trajectory, strengthening dichotomous notions of the divide between the West and the Muslim world.


Book Synopsis Islam and Political Violence by : Shahram Akbarzadeh

Download or read book Islam and Political Violence written by Shahram Akbarzadeh and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2010-06-30 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do we engage with the pressing challenges of xenophobia, radicalism and security in the age of the 'war on terror'? The widely felt sense of insecurity in the West is shared by Muslims both within and outside Western societies. Growing Islamic militancy and resulting increased security measures by Western powers have contributed to a pervasive sense among Muslims of being under attack (both physically and culturally). "Islam and Political Violence" brings together the current debate on the uneasy and potentially mutually destructive relationship between the Muslim world and the West and argues we are on a dangerous trajectory, strengthening dichotomous notions of the divide between the West and the Muslim world.

Balkan Fighters in the Syrian War

Balkan Fighters in the Syrian War

Author: Tanja Dramac Jiries

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-09-15

Total Pages: 107

ISBN-13: 1000436497

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This book analyses the process of the recruitment of foreign fighters from the Western Balkans, specifically Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, to Syria and Iraq from 2012 to 2015. Utilizing in-depth, semi-structured interviews with foreign fighters and their families, as well as a number of relevant stakeholders it answers the question of what were the processes and circumstances leading up to the departure of foreign fighters from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo and what informed their agency? The author draws on the theories of social movement approaches, more specifically, contentious politics literature and utilizes the specific concepts of triggering mechanisms, which refer to the enabling circumstances that make the radicalization and departure possible, and pleasure in agency, to elaborate on individual motivation. The book also shows how a wider state- fragility within the context of the post-Yugoslav wars and the transitional period that never ended, aided radicalization and how an incomplete process of post-war transition can fuel the process of political and religious radicalization creating a wider enabling web for recruitment. It will be of interest to students and scholars of Southeast European politics and foreign policy, post-war democratic transition, security policy and radicalization more broadly.


Book Synopsis Balkan Fighters in the Syrian War by : Tanja Dramac Jiries

Download or read book Balkan Fighters in the Syrian War written by Tanja Dramac Jiries and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-09-15 with total page 107 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyses the process of the recruitment of foreign fighters from the Western Balkans, specifically Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, to Syria and Iraq from 2012 to 2015. Utilizing in-depth, semi-structured interviews with foreign fighters and their families, as well as a number of relevant stakeholders it answers the question of what were the processes and circumstances leading up to the departure of foreign fighters from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo and what informed their agency? The author draws on the theories of social movement approaches, more specifically, contentious politics literature and utilizes the specific concepts of triggering mechanisms, which refer to the enabling circumstances that make the radicalization and departure possible, and pleasure in agency, to elaborate on individual motivation. The book also shows how a wider state- fragility within the context of the post-Yugoslav wars and the transitional period that never ended, aided radicalization and how an incomplete process of post-war transition can fuel the process of political and religious radicalization creating a wider enabling web for recruitment. It will be of interest to students and scholars of Southeast European politics and foreign policy, post-war democratic transition, security policy and radicalization more broadly.