Can Peacekeeping Operations Promote Democracy?

Should peacekeeping operations use armed force in self-defense only, or are “robust” operations preferable? Should peacekeeping be carried out by regional actors, or do such actors threaten the neutrality of these operations? These are questions that have been raised repeatedly over the past decade in the literature on peacekeeping (see, for example, various articles in the journal International Peacekeeping). More recently, debates have focused on whether democracy can be imposed through outside intervention—either through unilateral or multilateral missions. Indeed, democracy is sometimes used as a criterion for measuring the success of peacekeeping operations (Heldt and Wallensteen 2005). Others have argued that establishing or supporting democracy should be part of the exit strategy for all peacekeeping operations (for example, United Nations 2000a, 2000b, 2001; see also Fearon and Laitin 2004 for a discussion on exit strategies). Yet, statistical studies indicate that democratization increases the risk...