Liberal democracy from beneath? A study of norm internalization in post-war Liberia

Abstract: Research on norm internalization and local ownership in peace processes has not often been combined in peace and conflict studies. This paper sets out to see on the one hand, to what degree liberal democratic norms has spread in Liberia since the ending of the civil war, and on the other hand, if the peace process, –characterized by hybridity – could explain the norm internalization process. Through process tracing, empirical research has been done using both governmental statements, future goals, and actual implementation of laws. This is later analyzed with the goal of answering the question: to what degree has liberal democratic norms spread in post-war Liberia? The empirical study shows that Liberia has reached what is called stage one in the norm ’life-cycle’ – the norm of liberal democracy has diffused and been adopted by the local political elite – swell as stage two, where the norm is institutionalized. Though, stage three – full internalization of the norm – is not fully reached. The analysis suggests that the hybridity in the peace process has lowered the risk for the adopted norms to be suppressed through friction, and that perhaps a hybrid peace process is a fruitful environment for a norm internalization process.