How Civil Wars Start: And How to Stop Them

Content Warning: The source text depicts acts of violence and other crimes associated with civil wars.

In the final chapter of How Civil Wars Start, Walter focuses on “the field-tested methods of undermining and disabling” (209) extremists’ efforts to destabilize democracies. The best method is to reform an unstable and degraded government. In particular, research shows that the three most important features of a strong democracy are:

‘the rule of law’ (the equal and impartial application of legal procedure); ‘voice and accountability’ (the extent to which citizens are able to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of expression, freedom of association, and a free media); and ‘government effectiveness’ (the quality of public services and the quality and independence of civil service) (200).

Improvements in these three features can help reduce the risks of war since they reflect how well the government serves its citizens and the strength and accountability of its political institutions. Walter uses the case study of South Africa to support the importance of improving the quality of a country’s government. In the late 1980s, the country’s system of apartheid, through which white South Africans brutally suppressed the rights of Black South Africans, had led the country to the brink of civil war.