Legitimacy Matters: Managing the Democratization Paradox of Foreign State-Building in Bosnia-Herzegovina
Legitimacy Matters: Managing the Democratization Paradox of Foreign State-Building in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Summary/Abstract: Abstract. In this article I offer an account of why most current research on foreign state- building does not explore the problem of legitimacy, particularly the ability of this problem to shape the practices and effects of international intervention. I point to some of the political and epistemological stakes of this omission by drawing upon my research on how the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia confronted the “democratization paradox” (promot- ing democracy through undemocratic means) by working to persuade various Bosnian and foreign publics of the necessity and legitimacy of its perspectives and actions. This research (1) highlights important implications of this omission for research methodology, (2) makes visible otherwise overlooked aspects of international intervention, such as its communicative and performative dimensions, (3) contributes to how we understand the practices shaping postwar Bosnian politics, and (4) identifies important limits on the power of foreigners to transform Bosnian politics and society.

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