As the Libyan people see renewed prospects for peace, subnational governance may represent an integral part of a resolution to protracted instability.
Territorial Self-governance
Subnational governance is key to peace
Resolving subnational conflicts is ultimately about governance because their drivers are frequently linked to grievances and perceived injustice associated with access to power and resources, and to feelings of ethnic, social and / or geographic exclusion and marginalization.
Subnational Governance and Conflict
The potential for subnational governance to serve as a catalyst of peace has been widely recognized. This is reflected...
The merits and risks of reshaping internal power balances along subnational governance levels
Since the end of World War II, we have experienced a shift in conflict dynamics, from inter-state to intra-state conflicts. In 2016 alone, the world witnessed 47 intra-state conflicts. Today, wars are fought within state borders between a multiplicity of actors over the distribution of political power and national wealth both at and between the center and subnational governance levels. Marginalized groups are vying for greater autonomy at the local level, while those in control of the state—be they majorities or dominant minority groups—seek to consolidate political power at the center. Such intra-state conflicts with subnational dimensions are among the most protracted and violent conflicts.
Institutional Outcomes of Territorial Contestation: Lessons from Post-Communist Europe, 1989–2012
Co-authored with Zsuzsa Csergő and Philippe Roseberry and published in Publius, this article starts with the observation that, since 1989, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have experienced major institutional transformations. As part of that process,...
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Reflections on the Politics of Stalemate
Co-authored with Karl Cordell, this Introduction to a Special Issue on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict offers a broad contextualisation to the individual contributions in this special issue. The special issue was co-edited by Karl Cordell, Brendan O'Leary, and...
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Reflections on the Politics of Stalemate
Co-edited with Karl Cordell and Brendan O’Leary, this special issue on the intractability of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was published by Ethnopolitics in 2016. Brendan O’Leary’s lead piece begins from the premise that the status quo is neither morally...
Sudan: ‘Successful’ Constitutional Reform Spurs Localized Violence
Institutions are important in mitigating the extent to which shocks produce violent consequences, but their effectiveness is conditioned by the behavior of local and international leaders. Ostensibly perfect institutions may fail due to poor stewardship, while even imperfect ones can succeed at preventing violent escalation if local and international political leaders have sufficient political will.
Self-determination after Kosovo
Co–edited with Annemarie Peen Rodt, this special issue was published by Europe-Asia Studies. It presents the results of several years of collaborative work among the contributing authors who first discussed individual papers at a workshop at the International...
