Table Of ContentDemocracy Promotion and
Conflict-basedReconstruction
This book investigates US foreign policy and tests the hypothesis that US
transition-i nspired democracy promotion will successfully establish liberal
democracy around the world, and thus fulfil the aims of democratic peace and
the American mission. It features two detailed case studies exploring political
liberalisation in Bosnia and Afghanistan.
The author critically examines US foreign policy in a theoretical and histor-
ical context, focusing on the United States Agency for International Develop-
ment’s (USAID) democracy assistance. It demonstrates that if liberal democracy
is the end- goal of USAID’s strategy then the theoretical and practical limitations
of transition-i nspired assistance will impede the attainment of this goal.
It also suggests that the conclusions are applicable to other cases through
highlighting US democracy promotion in Iraq during the Bush administration.
Drawing conclusions by examining US democracy promotion in Bosnia,
Afghanistan and Iraq during the Clinton and Bush administrations, the book con-
siders its future during the Obama administration.
This book will be of interest to students and scholars of International Rela-
tions, US Foreign Policy and Democratization Studies.
Matthew Alan Hill is a postdoctoral research fellow in US politics and history
at the Institute for the Study of the Americas at the School of Advanced Study,
University of London, UK.
Democratizationstudies
(Formerly Democratization Studies, Frank Cass)
Democratization Studies combines theoretical and comparative studies with
detailed analyses of issues central to democratic progress and its performance,
all over the world.
The books in this series aim to encourage debate on the many aspects of demo-
cratization that are of interest to policy- makers, administrators and journalists, aid
and development personnel, as well as to all those involved in education.
1 Democratization and the Media
Edited by Vicky Randall
2 TheResilienceofDemocracy
Persistent practice, durable idea
Edited by Peter Burnell and Peter Calvert
3 The Internet, Democracy and Democratization
Edited by Peter Ferdinand
4 PartyDevelopmentandDemocraticChangeinPost-communistEurope
Edited by Paul Lewis
5 DemocracyAssistance
International co-o peration for democratization
Edited by Peter Burnell
6 OppositionandDemocracyinSouthAfrica
Edited by Roger Southall
7 TheEuropeanUnionandDemocracyPromotion
The case of North Africa
Edited by Richard Gillespie and Richard Youngs
8 DemocratizationandtheJudiciary
Edited by Siri Gloppen, Roberto Gargarella and Elin Skaar
9 CivilSocietyinDemocratization
Edited by Peter Burnell and Peter Calvert
10 TheInternetandPolitics
Citizens, voters and activists
Edited by Sarah Oates, Diana Owen and Rachel Gibson
11 DemocratizationintheMuslimWorld
Changing patterns of authority and power
Edited by Frederic Volpi and Francesco Cavatorta
12 GlobalDemocracy:ForandAgainst
Ethical theory, institutional design and social struggles
Raffaele Marchetti
13 ConstructingDemocracyinSouthernEurope
A comparative analysis of Italy, Spain and Turkey
Lauren M. McLaren
14 TheConsolidationofDemocracy
Comparing Europe and Latin America
Carsten Q. Schneider
15 NewChallengestoDemocratization
Edited by Peter Burnell and Richard Youngs
16 MultipleDemocraciesinEurope
Political culture in new member States
Paul Blokker
17 Globality,DemocracyandCivilSociety
Edited by Terrell Carver and Jens Bartelson
18 DemocracyPromotionandConflict-basedReconstruction
The United States and democratic consolidation in Bosnia, Afghanistan and
Iraq
Matthew Alan Hill
19 RequisitesofDemocracy
Conceptualization, measurement, and explanation
Jørgen Møller and Svend-E rik Skaaning
Democracy Promotion and
Conflict-basedReconstruction
The United States and democratic
consolidation in Bosnia, Afghanistan
and Iraq
Matthew Alan Hill
This edition published 2011
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2011 Matthew Alan Hill
The right of Matthew Alan Hill to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging- in-Publication Data
Hill, Matthew Alan.
Democracy promotion and c onflict-based reconstruction: the United
States and democratic consolidation in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq/
Matthew Alan Hill.
p. cm. – (Democratization studies; 18)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Democratization–Government policy–United States–Case studies.
2. Postwar reconstruction–Government policy–United States–Case
studies. 3. Democratization–Bosnia and Hercegovina. 4. Postwar
reconstruction–Bosnia and Hercegovina. 5. Democratization–
Afghanistan. 6. Postwar reconstruction–Afghanistan. I. Title.
JC423.H582 2011
949.74203–dc22
2011002038
ISBN: 978-0-415-58892-8 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-80834-4 (ebk)
Typeset in Times
by Wearset Ltd, Boldon, Tyne and Wear
Contents
Acknowledgements viii
Abbreviations x
1 Introduction 1
2 Setting the scene 5
3 Motives for US democracy promotion 37
4 Examining USAID in Bosnia and Afghanistan:
a ‘cookie-c utter approach’? 57
5 No liberal democracy, just a US supported formal
democracy 90
6 Can formal democracy meet the objectives of the
American Mission? 130
7 Implications of research findings to general US foreign
policy: the case of Iraq 143
8 US democracy promotion and the dawn of the Obama era 177
Notes 191
Bibliography 198
Index 222
Acknowledgements
The origin of this book is in my doctoral thesis, and as such, my acknowledge-
ments will begin there. Professor Alan Sharp was a great PhD supervisor. At the
beginning he helped me turn my grand ideas into a more manageable project. He
provided me with both indispensable encouragement and a critical eye through-
out and his editing skills were invaluable. Since finishing, Alan has continued to
support me and I thank him kindly. My partner Charlotte Cox has been both an
emotional support and a Chief Editor that any broadsheet would be proud to
have on its books. Criticisms are so much better received with a smile from the
love of your life! Thanks are also due to my parents, Margaret and Alan Hill, for
being a constant source of support.
Other acknowledgements are directed to the staff at the Magee library, Uni-
versity of Ulster for dealing with my queries and providing an invaluable support
when needed, and to the people I interviewed in Belfast and Washington, DC,
whose insights have dramatically improved the structure of my arguments.
Special thanks go to the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) whose
three years of funding gave me the opportunity to do the initial research as a
doctorate. Thanks are also directed to the team at Routledge, who have helped
me prepare this book for publication. Finally, I would like to thank my col-
leagues and students at De Montfort University and my current employer, the
Institute for the Study of the Americas at the University of London for support-
ing me whilst conducting the research for this book.
Obviously, any mistakes made are entirely my responsibility.
My final words are directed to the peoples of Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq.
Although I do not talk about you as individuals I have always remembered that
you are.
Permissions
I would like to thank Taylor & Francis for granting me permission to publish an
amended version of the following article as Chapter 4, Hill, M. A. (February
2010). ‘Exploring USAID’s democracy promotion in Bosnia and Afghanistan: A
“cookie-c utter approach”?’, Democratization, 17 no. 1: 98–124, www.informa-
world.com
Acknowledgements ix
I would also like to thank SAGE Publications Ltd. for granting me permission
to publish an amended version of the following article as Chapter Five, Hill,
M. A. (June 2010) ‘International actors and democratisation: can USAID
deliver a democratic culture to Afghanistan?’, International Relations 24 no. 2:
155–74.
Abbreviations
ABA American Bar Association
ADF America’s Development Foundation
AL Alternative Livelihoods (USAID programme)
APAP Afghanistan Parliamentary Assistance Project
BBC British Broadcasting Corporation
BiH Bosnia- i-Herzegovina
BMENA The Broader Middle East and North Africa Partnership Initiative
CAP Community Action Programme (USAID/Iraq)
CCFE Civic Coalition for Free Elections (Iraq)
CEELI Central and East European Law Initiative
CEPPS Consortium for Elections and Political Processes Strengthening
(Iraq)
CF Coalition Forces (Iraq)
CIA Central Intelligence Agency (USA)
CIM Coordinator for International Monitoring (Afghanistan)
CINEM Coalition of Independent Non-p artisan Election Monitors (Iraq)
CoR Council of Representatives (Iraq)
CPA Coalition Provisional Authority (Iraq)
CPI Commission of Public Integrity (Iraq)
CRS Congressional Research Service (USA)
CSCE Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
CSIS Center for Strategic and International Studies
CSO Civil Society Organisation
CSRC Civil Society Resource Centre (Iraq)
DAI Development Alternatives Incorporated
DemNet Democracy Network (Bosnia-H erzegovina)
DEP Democracy Enhancement Project
DG Office of Democracy and Governance (USAID)
DoD Department of Defense (USA)
DPA Dayton Peace Agreement (Bosnia-H erzegovina)
DPG Defense Planning Guidance review (USA)
DRL Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (US
Department of State)
