In recent years, an increasing amount of research has argued that the successful transformation of rebel organization into parties is critical to stable post-conflict peace and democratization. However, the process of the transformation of rebel groups into parties is not well understood. Under what conditions do rebel groups transform into parties? Or into something else? What are the causal mechanisms that lead to the "successful" transformation of rebel groups into political parties? Does the transformation of rebel groups into parties actually contribute to political stability and democratization? How does transformation differ from region to region? The chapters in this book directly address these questions, and include a combination of broader theoretical and empirical chapters coupled with several in depth case studies by some of the most notable scholars in the field. It should prove indispensable to students of both civil wars, post-conflict peace, and political parties.
This book was originally published as a special issue of Democratization.
Introduction to the special issue "From bullets to ballots: the
transformation of rebel groups into political parties"
1. Political party
formation by former armed opposition groups after civil war
2. Rebel-to-party
transformations in civil war peace processes 19752011
3. Does political
inclusion of rebel parties promote peace after civil conflict?
4. From
victorious rebels to strong authoritarian parties: prospects for post-war
democratization
5. The Guatemalan National Revolutionary unit: the long
collapse
6. Rebel-to-political and back? Hamas as a security provider in Gaza
between rebellion, politics and governance
John Ishiyama is University Distinguished Research Professor of Political Science at the University of North Texas, USA. His research focuses on political institutions, democratization, and post-civil war politics.
