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- Bove, Vincenzo, et al.
(author)
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Beyond coups : terrorism and military involvement in politics
- 2020
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In: European Journal of International Relations. - : Sage Publications. - 1354-0661 .- 1460-3713. ; 26:1, s. 263-288
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A wealth of research in comparative politics and international relations examines how the military intervenes in politics via coups. We shift attention to broader forms of military involvement in politics beyond coups and claim that terrorist violence and the threat of terror attacks provide a window of opportunity for military intervention, without taking full control of state institutions. We highlight two mechanisms through which terrorism influences military involvement in politics: (1) government authorities demand military expertise to fight terrorism and strengthen national security and “pull” the armed forces into politics, and (2) state armed actors exploit their informational advantage over civilian authorities to “push” their way into politics and policy-making. A panel data analysis shows that domestic terror attacks and perceived threats from domestic and transnational terrorist organizations increase military involvement in politics. We illustrate the theoretical mechanisms with the cases of France (1995–1998 and 2015–2016) and Algeria (1989–1992).
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- Bove, Vincenzo, et al.
(author)
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Composing Peace : Mission Composition in UN Peacekeeping
- 2020. - First edition
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Book (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The book explores how diversity in United Nations’ peace mission composition affects peacekeeping effectiveness. It identifies four key dimensions of composition: Blue Helmets’ field diversity, top mission leadership diversity (between Force Commander and Special Representative of the Secretary General), vertical leadership distance (Leadership-Blue Helmets), and horizontal distance with the local population. Each dimension of diversity of mission is measured as linguistic, geographical, and religious distance. Our book conceptualizes original mechanisms—i. resolve commitment; ii. informative trust; iii. informative communicability; iv. skilled persuasion—through which diversity can shape mission effectiveness such as trust, communicability, deterrence, and persuasion. It then evaluates each dimension separately through three pathway case studies—the UN missions in Lebanon, in Mali, and in the Central African Republic—and quantitative analyses based on a global dataset of peacekeeping operations deployed since the end of the Cold War. The book finds that diversity of Blue Helmets and diversity of top leadership may increase the mission’s capacity to reduce battle-field violence and civilian victimization. At the same time, the effects of diversity are contextual and contingent. In fact, looking at the relation between peacekeepers and Force Commanders, proximity between them is generally associated with better performances. Furthermore, homogeneity between local populations and peacekeepers, or low distance between them, is also related to low levels of hostility and casualties. This book crucially demonstrates why diversity of mission composition is a key variable to consider when trying to enhance peacekeeping effectiveness.
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| 5. |
- Bove, Vincenzo, et al.
(author)
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Cultural distance and income divergence over time
- 2020
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In: Economics Letters. - : Elsevier BV. - 0165-1765. ; 194
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Instead of featuring a long-awaited convergence process, the second half of the twentieth century witnessed a dramatic income divergence across countries. We propose cultural distance between countries as a determinant of this economic divergence. Cultural similarity makes it easier for societies to interact, learn and adopt from one another. Consequently, cultural differences may lead to economic divergence over time as they slow down the adoption of technological and institutional innovations from the frontier countries. We show that the overall economic divergence observed in the world since the 1950s is driven by countries with high relative cultural distance to the technological frontier. In contrast, the income gap among countries with low relative cultural distance remained unchanged over time. Further analysis reveals that a one-unit rise in relative cultural distance to the frontier is associated with an increased income divergence of almost seven units.
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- Lundgren, Magnus, 1976, et al.
(author)
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Politics or Performance? Leadership Accountability in UN Peacekeeping
- 2022
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In: Journal of Conflict Resolution. - : SAGE Publications. - 0022-0027 .- 1552-8766. ; 66:1, s. 32-60
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- International organizations face a trade-off between the need to replace poorly performing leaders and the imperative of preserving the loyalty of influential or pivotal member states. This performance-politics dilemma is particularly acute in UN peacekeeping. Leaders of peacekeeping operations are responsible for ensuring that peacekeepers implement mandates, maintain discipline, and stay safe. Yet, if leaders fail to do so, is the UN Secretariat able and willing to replace them? We investigate newly collected data on the tenure of 238 civilian and military leaders in thirty-eight peacekeeping operations, 1978 to 2017. We find that the tenures of civilian leaders are insensitive to performance, but that military leaders in poorly performing missions are more likely to be replaced. We also find evidence that political considerations complicate the UN’s efforts at accountability. Holding mission performance constant, military leaders from countries that are powerful or contribute large numbers of troops stay longer in post.
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- Oksamytna, Kseniya, et al.
(author)
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Leadership Selection in United Nations Peacekeeping
- 2021
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In: International Studies Quarterly. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0020-8833 .- 1468-2478. ; 65:1, s. 16-28
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- States covet leadership and staff positions in international organizations. The posts of civilian leaders and force commanders of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations are attractive to member states. In selecting peacekeeping leaders, the UN Secretariat balances three considerations: satisfying powerful member states by appointing their nationals; recognizing member states’ contribution to the work of the organization; and ensuring that leaders have the necessary skill set. We investigate appointments of more than 200 civilian and military leaders in 24 UN missions, 1990–2017. We find that contributing troops to a specific mission increases the chances of securing a peacekeeping leadership position. Geographic proximity between the leaders’ country and the conflict country is also a favorable factor whose importance has increased over time. Civilian leaders of UN peacekeeping operations tend to hail from institutionally powerful countries, while military commanders come from major, long-standing troop contributing countries. Despite some role that skills play in the appointment process, the UN's dependence on troop contributors, together with its reliance on institutionally powerful states, can be a source of dysfunction if it prevents the organization from selecting effective peacekeeping leaders. This dynamic affects other international organizations that have significant power disparities among members or rely on voluntary contributions.
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