Civil War Interventions and Their Benefits - by Isaac M Castellano (Hardcover)

About the Book

Castellano argues that indirect interventions by external states into civil wars are the product of elite control over security making and that those interventions return few public goods to the general public they represent.

Book Synopsis

Castellano argues that indirect interventions by external states into civil wars are the product of elite control over security making and that those interventions return few public goods to the general public they represent.

Review Quotes

Castellano seeks to answer an important question: what are the benefits of interventions into civil wars, particularly for regular citizens in intervening states? The author examines factors that motivate states to intervene in civil wars, how interventions shape conflict dynamics, the benefits that are produced, and how those benefits are distributed in the short and long term following an intervention. Three civil wars are used as case studies: the 1979-1992 Salvadoran Civil War, the 1975-1988 conflict between the Moro insurgency and the Filipino government, and the 1983-1987 first Eelam War in Sri Lanka. The author creates a theory to explain state decision making that leads to civil war interventions using the criminal justice model of motive, means, and opportunity as well as a framework to understand how the benefits of the intervention are distributed among citizens in the intervening states. Findings from the case studies indicate that the benefits gained by the intervening states go to the political, economic, and security elites with citizens gaining very little from civil war interventions, indicating a disconnect among decision makers and citizens. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

Sparked by the policy debate surrounding the Syrian civil war, Isaac Castellano provides a unique angle on an important and timely question in world politics: Is intervention worth it? Based upon detailed historical analysis, Castellano finds that the answer to this question depends upon whom you ask. Political elites do tend to benefit from intervention, but the general public often loses out. This book will make readers take a critical look at the logic of the intervention policies of the U.S. and other democratic countries.

States and international organizations intervene in the domestic politics of other states for a myriad of reasons, and scholars have gained significant ground in explaining how interventions in conflicts like Syria are apt to influence intra-war dynamics and post-conflict processes. In Civil War Interventions and Their Benefits: Unequal Returns, Castellano shifts the focus back to the intervening state. Seeking to understand who benefits from interventions and why, he argues that elites gain the lion's share of the benefits from intervening. Case studies of El Salvador, Philippines, and Sri Lanka provide strong supporting evidence. This book deserves to be read by anyone interested in civil wars, international relations, and foreign policy.

About the Author

Isaac Castellano teaches political science at Boise State University and the College of Western Idaho.