After War

Why does liberal democracy take hold in some countries but not in others? This is one of the most enduring questions of our time. The problems posed by nondemocratic countries and the rogue groups within them are among the most pressing issues in the world today. Historically, the United States has attempted to generate change in these countries by exporting liberal democratic institutions through military occupation and reconstruction. Despite these efforts, the record of U.S.-led reconstructions has been mixed at best. Why do we observe such different outcomes in military interventions, from Germany and Japan to Afghanistan and Iraq? Do efforts to export democracy help as much as they hurt? Are there alternatives to military occupation and reconstruction? "After War" seeks to answer these critical foreign policy questions using the economic way of thinking to analyze the reconstruction process. Bringing an economic mindset to a topic traditionally tackled by historians, policymakers, and political scientists, Coyne analyzes the constraints and limitations of exporting sustainable democracy at gunpoint. The book makes the bold case that committing to "principled non-intervention and unilateral free trade" is the best policy toward weak, failed, and conflict-torn states.