| This dissertation examines the role of international institutions in the management and prevention of violent conflict. The dissertation is comprised of three independent research papers, each focusing on a distinct aspect of this general topic. The first paper examines whether and to what extent international organizations (and other third-party actors) need to be impartial in order to make an effective contribution to the resolution of conflicts involving problems of credible commitment, with a focus on third-party efforts to promote peace after civil war. The second paper analyzes the role that international institutions can play in helping states signal their peaceful intentions, using Germany's European policy as a case study. The third and final paper investigates the link between regime type and states' proclivity for acting through international institutions. Focusing on the case of the United Nations, the paper uses quantitative analysis to challenge the widespread notion that democracies are more inclined to settle their conflicts with the help of international organizations than are other types of states. Collectively, the papers seek to demonstrate the utility of insights derived from rationalist bargaining theory combined with rigorous empirical analysis for improving our understanding of the role international institutions play in the management and prevention of violent conflicts. |
