Drawing on fifteen years of firsthand field research, a foreign policy expert describes how extreme violence cripples democracies and discusses how some societies have successfully fought massive violence and reclaimed security.
The book examines the critical role of the rule of law in democracy, economic growth, and national security, highlighting the significant investments made by the United States to promote it globally. Despite the declared importance of this goal and the dedication of numerous practitioners, the outcomes of these efforts have been largely disappointing. It explores the challenges and complexities involved in effectively implementing rule-of-law initiatives in different countries, questioning the strategies and assumptions that have guided these foreign policy endeavors.