Signals of Reconciliation: Institution-Building and the Resolution of Civil Wars

Abstract

Recent studies of civil war have tended to apply concepts associated with neorealist analyses of international conflict to understand the dynamics of disputes among collectivities within a state. The intention of the present essay is to demonstrate that this reliance on neorealist theory has resulted in the neglect of viable solutions to these conflicts that are inconsistent with the dominant paradigm. We suggest that an alternative international relations perspective, neoliberal institutionalism, can also serve as a prescription for post-civil war stability. Consistent with this perspective, we identify a process in which negotiating and establishing power-sharing institutions serves two important functions in the resolution of civil wars. First, the institutions created through this process serve as the basis for establishing a new political order. Second, the act of developing postwar institutions provides a means by which former adversaries can generate the often costly signals of conciliatory intent necessary for fostering new norms of peaceful cooperation. We demonstrate the value of this framework through a case study of conflict resolution in the Philippines.