A major research evaluation undertaken by Uppsala University gives high marks to the research at the Department. The evaluation, known as Quality and Renewal 2011 (KoF11), comprised two different parts. Firstly, a peer-review process, conducted by distinguished scholars of the international research community. Secondly, a bibliometric study of publications in the period 2007–2010.
Read more about the evaluation.
Project Leader
Kristine Höglund, Associate Professor
Project Period
2011–2013
Other Project Employees
Hanne Fjelde, Assistant Professor
Project Description
This project studies the circumstances under which electoral contestation leads to violence. The project advances the knowledge on electoral violence in two significant ways. First, it uses new conflict event data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program to conduct the first comprehensive analysis of the frequency and determinants of political violence in association with elections in Africa in the 1989 to 2008 period. Second, it will carry out a qualitative analysis of African countries, including Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
To understand electoral violence, the project will develop theories related to:
The relevance of the research pertains both to the advancement of knowledge on the democracy-violence nexus and to policy for how to address the causes of electoral violence. Electoral violence has a number of negative influences on individuals and on societies. It threatens to undermine the democratic system by defying the very notion of democratic norms based on tolerance and non-violence. It is associated with corruption and underdevelopment. In some countries, election-related violence has served as a training ground for civil war. In essence, electoral violence hampers individual safety and wealth.
Related Publications
Höglund, Kristine, 2011. 'Priset för demokrati får inte bli våldsamma val.' Tvärsnitt(3-4): 32-35.
Höglund, Kristine, and Anna K. Jarstad, 2010. ‘Strategies to Prevent and Manage Electoral Violence: Considerations for Policy.’ Policy and Practice Brief, ACCORD, no. 1. Available online www.accord.org.za.
Höglund, Kristine, 2009. ‘Electoral Violence: Causes, Concepts and Consequences’. Terrorism and Political Violence 21 (3): 412-427.
Höglund, Kristine, and Anton Piyarathne. 2009. ‘Paying the Price of Patronage: Electoral Violence in Sri Lanka’. Commonwealth and Comparative Politics 47 (3): 287-307.
Höglund, Kristine, 2009. ‘Elections and Violence in Sri Lanka: Understanding Variation across Three Parliamentary Elections,’ in Swain, Ashok, Rames Amer, and Joakim Öjendahl, eds., The Democratization Project: Opportunities and Challenges, London: Anthem Press
Höglund, Kristine, 2008. ‘Violence in War-to-Democracy Transitions’, in Anna Jarstad & Timothy D. Sisk, eds., War-to-Democracy Transitions: Dilemmas of Peacebuilding. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Fjelde, Hanne. “Patronage politics and Non-state Conflict in Africa: A Sub-national Study of Nigeria”. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University.
Main Financial Support
Vetenskapsrådet (The Swedish Research Council)
Related Research
Uppsala Conflict Data Program
Programme on Governance, Conflict and Peacebuilding
Patrimonialism, Globalization, and Civil Conflict
