The Impact of Political Alliances on Voter Prejudice in Post Conflict Countries
Ph.D., Conflict Analysis and Resolution , George Mason University
M.A., International Affairs and Economics , Johns Hopkins University, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Scholars of conflict resolution have studied ways to reduce prejudice in society for years, believing that prejudice leads to or increases the likelihood of conflict. The primary focus has been on schools, universities and communities. More limited research has been conducted on the contribution of political party alliances on reducing prejudice in postconflict societies, divided along ethnic, linguistic, racial, religious or tribal lines. While alliances are often perceived as a way to overcome divisions between political forces and coalesce around common goals and interests, it is not clear if citizens living in deeply divided societies experience a change in their level of prejudice when the party they support enters into an alliance with a party that represents another group with which they may have been previously in conflict. Furthermore, it is unclear how lasting these changes in perceptions are, especially if political alliances change.