This book provides an in-depth portrait of Afghanistan's recent elections as experienced by individuals and communities, and reveals how the elections have actively contributed to instability, undermining the prospects of democracy in Afghanistan. It shows how, since the invasion of the country in 2001, researchers, policymakers and the media have failed to consider the long-term implications of the country's post-conflict elections. The book is based on fieldwork in provinces across the country and interviews with more than seven hundred candidates, officials, community leaders and voters. Th ... More

This book provides an in-depth portrait of Afghanistan's recent elections as experienced by individuals and communities, and reveals how the elections have actively contributed to instability, undermining the prospects of democracy in Afghanistan. It shows how, since the invasion of the country in 2001, researchers, policymakers and the media have failed to consider the long-term implications of the country's post-conflict elections. The book is based on fieldwork in provinces across the country and interviews with more than seven hundred candidates, officials, community leaders and voters. The book merges political science with anthropology, and documents how political leaders, commanders and the new ruling elite have used elections to further their own interests and deprive local communities of access to political opportunities. It retraces presidential, parliamentary and provincial council elections over the past decade and exposes the role of international actors in promoting the polls as one-off events, detached from a broader political landscape. It shows how this approach to elections has allowed existing local powerholders to solidify their grip on resources and opportunities, derailing democratization processes and entrenching a deeper disengagement from central government. The book argues that Western powers need to re-evaluate their most basic assumptions about elections, democracy and international intervention if they are to prevent similar outcomes in the future.