International Support for and Trust in Domestic Institutions

• In Event: Peace from the Bottom-Up? The Role of Citizens in Peace Processes

Abstract

What are the long-term effects of peacekeeping missions and bilateral assistance programs on post-conflict societies’ trust in domestic institutions? UN peacekeeping missions and foreign governments are increasingly involved in rebuilding domestic institutions in war-torn countries. However, little is known about whether—and if so, how—these actors affect the legitimacy of key domestic institutions, such as the judicial system and security sector. We theorize that foreign endorsement of and assistance in rebuilding post-conflict institutions each increases citizens’ trust therein. They do so by signaling, respectively, the institutions’ increased legitimacy and capacity. We furthermore expect this to be conditioned by the degree to which individuals hold a positive sentiment towards the specific third-party actors. To test these arguments, we conduct a behavioral observation experiment and representative endorsement survey experiment in the capital cities of Liberia (Monrovia) and Haiti (Port-au-Prince). Our results will demonstrate the degree to which international endorsement of and support for domestic institutions affects public trust in therein.

Authors

• Sabrina Karim, Cornell University

• Cameron Mailhot