Meg Shannon

Peacekeeping, Policing, and the Rule of Law after Civil War

Avery Lord — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:32:18 +0000

Peacekeeping, Policing, and the Rule of Law after Civil War Avery Lord Tue, 06/16/2026 - 15:32

Peacekeeping, Policing, and the Rule of Law after Civil War

By: Megan Shannon

Abstract:

In recent years, there has been a dramatic shift in what we know about the influence of United Nations (UN) peacekeeping. Informed by the UN accounting of its peacekeeping efforts and supported by data collected by political scientists, researchers have uncovered a profound relationship between peacekeeping and peace. It is becoming clear that peacekeeping works, but what is less clear is why and how. Enter this masterful work on peacekeeping and the rule of law after civil war. In Peacekeeping, Policing, and the Rule of Law after Civil, Robert A. Blair demonstrates that UN peacekeeping missions can significantly improve the rule of law in postconflict countries. This is an important finding, as establishing the rule of law is fundamental for recovering from civil war.

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Social power and the politics of reservations and objections in human rights treaties

Avery Lord — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:30:51 +0000

Social power and the politics of reservations and objections in human rights treaties Avery Lord Tue, 06/16/2026 - 15:30

Social power and the politics of reservations and objections in human rights treaties

By: Cody D Eldredge, Megan Shannon

Abstract:

States often file reservations to human rights treaties with the goal of reducing their legal commitments under the treaty. Other states within the treaty have the right to declare objections in response to states making reservations. This is a potentially powerful tool for objecting states, and has numerous consequences for relations within and outside the human rights institution. So why do only some states lodge formal objections, while others do not? We argue that states consider the degree of social power they wield over a reserving state when formulating the decision to lodge an objection, because higher levels of social power amplify the effects of an objection. To evaluate our expectation, we gather data on all states’ reserving and objecting behaviors within the Convention against Torture. Controlling for a number of factors, we find that the measure of social power significantly increases the likelihood that a state will object to another state's reservation. This research calls attention to the power of objections as a legal tool, and suggests areas of future research for the effects of objections on the legality of human rights agreements.

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The United Nations after 75: assessing current understandings, charting fruitful research agendas

Avery Lord — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:29:12 +0000

The United Nations after 75: assessing current understandings, charting fruitful research agendas Avery Lord Tue, 06/16/2026 - 15:29

The United Nations after 75: assessing current understandings, charting fruitful research agendas

By: Zuhaib Mahmood, Kyle Beardsley, Christopher Newton, Chhandosi Roy, Jacob D Kathman, Colin Tucker, William G Nomikos, Danielle N Villa, Martin Binder, Susan Allen, Amy Yuen, Timothy JA Passmore, Megan Shannon, Lisa Hultman, Terrence L Chapman

Abstract:

From its capacity for deploying joint operations in conflict zones to its status as a standard-bearing forum for international behaviour, the United Nations has asserted its relevance in a diverse array of issues and conflicts around the world. Equally as diverse has been the scholarship surrounding the United Nations over the past several decades. This collection of essays provides a snapshot of these diverse lines of scholarship, highlighting existing scholarship on a range of topics, as well as identifying areas of opportunity for future scholarly work on these topics. Taken as a whole, this forum more broadly provides insight into core pillars of the United Nations' mission--including the maintenance of peace and security; fostering friendly relations between nations; promoting human rights and humanitarian goals; and encouraging cooperation and harmonization of interests between nations. Moving forward, it is our hope that this collection will serve as a sprigboard for inspiring future work to both build and expand upon the insights from the past several decades of scholarship on the United Nations.

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Peacekeeping and the protection of civilians

Avery Lord — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:27:15 +0000

Peacekeeping and the protection of civilians Avery Lord Tue, 06/16/2026 - 15:27

Peacekeeping and the protection of civilians

By: Lisa Hultman, Jacob D Kathman, Megan Shannon

Abstract:

From the perspective of many policymakers and analysts, the United Nations is a futile organization. Such sentiments are often expressed both within and outside the UN. The UN has been disparaged by former United States President Donald Trump as an ‘underperformer’(Trump 2016), while Nikki Haley, former US Ambassador to the UN, described the UN management of the politics surrounding human rights as a ‘cesspool’(Koran 2018). 1 Former UN Assistant Secretary General Anthony Branbury has claimed that the UN is ‘failing’to meet its mission ‘thanks to colossal mismanagement’(Reuters 2016). And Max Boot (2000, p. 143), Senior Fellow for National Security at the Council on Foreign Relations, has described the UN as ‘paving the road to hell’in its expanding international commitments. Even casual observers are skeptical of the UN competence.

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Financial contributions to United Nations peacekeeping, 1990–2010: A new dataset

Avery Lord — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:25:23 +0000

Financial contributions to United Nations peacekeeping, 1990–2010: A new dataset Avery Lord Tue, 06/16/2026 - 15:25

Financial contributions to United Nations peacekeeping, 1990–2010: A new dataset

By: Timothy JA Passmore, Megan Shannon, Morgan Nadeau

Abstract:

Despite evidence that United Nations peacekeeping is a cost-effective tool for addressing civil and interstate conflict, it has consistently experienced financial shortfalls as member states neglect to pay their dues. To enable investigation into the dynamics of peacekeeping support, we present newly collected data on all member-state financial contributions to all UN peacekeeping operations from 1990 to 2010. The data also include dues assessed by the UN to gauge the extent to which states fall short of what they owe. We show that financial shortfalls are widespread and vary across both missions and contributors. The data offer opportunities to understand patterns of financial support for peacekeeping across states, missions, and time, and can ultimately provide insight into the factors that lead states to support international institutions and public goods. We illustrate how scholars can use the data with an analysis of the factors that drive states to meet their financial commitments. We find that wealthier states, those more engaged in global trade, democracies, and those that also contribute personnel to peacekeeping operations are the most likely to pay their dues. Conversely, the United States and countries in the Americas, Africa, and Asia are more likely to shirk part or all of their financial obligations in a given year.

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Social pressure in the international human rights regime: Why states withdraw treaty reservations

Avery Lord — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:23:59 +0000

Social pressure in the international human rights regime: Why states withdraw treaty reservations Avery Lord Tue, 06/16/2026 - 15:23

Social pressure in the international human rights regime: Why states withdraw treaty reservations

By: Christina Boyes, Cody D Eldredge, Megan Shannon, Kelebogile Zvobgo

Abstract:

States often use reservations to modify their treaty obligations. Prior research demonstrates why states enter reservations and why states object to reservations, but little work explains why states withdraw them. We argue that states withdraw reservations in response to international social pressure. Using novel data on reservations and reservation withdrawals for the nine core international human rights treaties, our analyses reveal two factors that compel states to withdraw reservations: (1) pressure from peer states and (2) pressure from human rights treaty bodies conducting periodic reviews. While previous work emphasizes domestic factors, our research shows that the international community encourages states to withdraw reservations and strengthen their commitments to human rights and international law.

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Mandate Complexity and United Nations Peacekeeping Contributions

Avery Lord — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:22:23 +0000

Mandate Complexity and United Nations Peacekeeping Contributions Avery Lord Tue, 06/16/2026 - 15:22

Mandate Complexity and United Nations Peacekeeping Contributions

By: Lisa Hultman, Jacob D Kathman, Megan Shannon

Abstract:

United Nations peacekeeping is an important instrument for maintaining international peace, but the mandates that peacekeeping operations are expected to implement are increasingly complex. This trend has consequences. We argue that certain member states are incentivized by the benefits of partaking in complex missions. These include ‘process’ benefits such as reimbursement payments, training, and reputation building. Specifically, non-democratic states are more likely to make greater contributions to missions with complex mandates than democratic states. In a global analysis of UN member peacekeeping contributions from 1990 to 2022, we show that as mandate complexity increases, non-democracies make larger contributions relative to democracies. While democracies do not shy away from supporting peacekeeping, they resist substantial contributions to the ambitiously mandated missions that they have often themselves promoted. These findings contribute to ongoing academic discussions about the challenge of recruiting sufficient resources to pursue peacekeeping while insisting on a liberal global order.

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Responding to criticism: Autocratic states and treaty reservation withdrawal

Avery Lord — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 21:19:49 +0000

Responding to criticism: Autocratic states and treaty reservation withdrawal Avery Lord Tue, 06/16/2026 - 15:19

Responding to criticism: Autocratic states and treaty reservation withdrawal

By: Kelebogile Zvobgo, Megan Shannon, Cody D Eldredge

Abstract:

Autocracies, like democracies, use reservations to adjust their treaty commitments. But autocracies receive far greater pressure to withdraw reservations. To what extent is this pressure effective? We show through statistical analyses and case illustrations that autocracies respond to international pressure differently than democracies. Autocracies are more likely to withdraw reservations when facing treaty body reviews and less likely to withdraw reservations in response to peer state objections. We propose explanations for this difference. Autocracies may be more responsive to periodic reviews because they are conducted by technical experts from diverse countries, regions, and political regimes, rather than by states’ political representatives. Periodic review is an iterative process that gives autocracies time to address domestic opposition to withdrawing reservations. Yet, autocracies may be less likely to withdraw reservations in response to state objections because they see objections, which primarily originate with Western democracies, as biased, hypocritical, and possibly even neocolonial. Objections are also only filed once and may not have the sustained impact necessary to prompt reservation withdrawal. Our research improves scholarly understanding of autocratic states’ engagement with international law and international organizations, and reveals the conditional effects of the international community efforts to change state behavior within treaty regimes.

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CU Political Science Professor Wins Book Award for Pathbreaking Research on UN Peacekeeping

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 16:18:12 +0000

CU Political Science Professor Wins Book Award for Pathbreaking Research on UN Peacekeeping Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 02/10/2023 - 09:18

Kaysie Larson , Andy Baker

The United Nations is one of the most controversial institutions in the world. One of its primary roles is to organize and execute peacekeeping missions, which are intended to help maintain peace in countries previously torn apart by civil war. Yet some UN peacekeeping missions have gone horribly and notoriously wrong, and many questions remain about their effectiveness. Enter CU Associate Professor Megan Shannon, who has brought systematic data to bear on this question in order to move beyond anecdotes and guesswork. Shannon efforts in doing so have resulted in some of the definitive scholarship on this question, as her 2019 book Peacekeeping in the Midst of War won the best book award (for 2018/2019) from the Conflict Processes section of the American Political Science Association (APSA).

Shannon and her coauthors argue that peacekeeping missions, while highly imperfect, do mitigate human suffering in the wake of civil wars and are thus an indispensable tool for promoting peace and human security. Battlefield deaths and violence against civilians decline after UN peacekeepers arrive. To be successful, however, the peacekeeping force must be properly constituted. In particular, Shannon finds that large groups of armed peacekeepers are more effective at preventing violence than smaller unarmed groups of peacekeepers, even if the peacekeepers never fire their weapons. Armed peacekeepers provide a powerful deterrent to violence between previously warring groups. Additionally, the nature of the conflict itself influences the success of peacekeeping operations. Civil wars that feature infighting among rebel groups are particularly hard to quell.

Besides conducting easy-to-read analyses of quantitative data on peacekeeping and violence, Shannon and her team conducted in-depth case studies of Côte d'Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of Congo to see precisely how and why different kinds of peacekeeping operations work differently. Says Shannon, “Writing a book and conducting these case studies really provided us with the freedom to observe precisely what peacekeepers were doing and how their activities influence the mission success.” Her deep knowledge of peacekeeping operations and these cases have also informed her thoughts about the success of other potential peacekeeping missions. For example, Shannon thinks that deploying UN peacekeepers to Afghanistan in 2021 would have been a bad idea. To enter quickly, the peacekeeping force would have been small. The Taliban, emboldened by its recent rise to power, would have probably overwhelmed it.

Peacekeeping in the Midst of War portrays peacekeeping in ways that have previously been overlooked. Congratulations to Professor Shannon on her APSA award and for writing an important book that can inform activists and policymakers around the world.

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2016 Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy Grant Winner

Anonymous — Thu, 25 May 2017 20:22:30 +0000

2016 Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy Grant Winner Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 05/25/2017 - 14:22

Emma Piller

Graduate Student in Political Science

The Department of Political Science would like to congratulate Ph.D candidate Tim Passmore on his receiving the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy grant of 2016. Passmore was one of 20 to receive this national grant out of 670 applicants. In addition to this grant, he received the Harold D. Lasswell Award for the most outstanding project in international relations.

Being awarded this competitive grant was beyond anything Passmore expected. “I got the letter in the mail,” he said. “It arrived earlier than they said I would hear, so I thought I was part of the first cut,” he said. This grant will help Passmore continue his research in finishing his dissertation and other fieldwork opportunities he’ll plan for the end of the summer.

His dissertation, Pacifying the Peacekeepers, focuses on United Nations peacekeeping operations. These operations take place in countries of conflict where members of the UN send their own military into these missions. There are currently 16 missions occurring worldwide with more than 91,000 military personnel made of a variety of countries.

“Bangladesh is the number one contributor for military personnel to peacekeeping missions, which is a huge surprise to people who don’t know much about peacekeeping,” Passmore said. “Ghana is a country that at any given time, about 20 percent of its military is deployed across the ocean in other countries in peacekeeping missions. This is huge considering the U.S. deploys a fraction of one percent of its military.”

The question Passmore asks is understanding what countries are contributing to these peacekeeping missions and why. “So we intend to think that if you send your military, you have certain connections with the country that has a conflict, but actually, it could be that you just want to reap some benefits for your own domestic policy,” he said.

When a country becomes a democracy, their militaries lose status, influence, and often times government funding. This loss of power can be frustrating to the military, and this plays a factor in destabilizing their democracy. Recently-democratized states are thus at risk of falling back into a military dictatorship.

The UN peacekeeping missions are a strategy used to distract and placate these militaries. “By sending them to foreign missions,” Passmore explains, “they’re out of the way; they can’t incite a military coup. They’re paid by the United Nations, trained, and kept active. This reduces the domestic threat of the military.”

Another critical benefit is that “it frees up government money to spend on other social spending, important in a democracy.” These changes hopefully strengthen the democracy and reduce domestic problems.

Although Passmore background is in terrorism studies and international security, his advisor, Megan Shannon, an associate professor at CU, had been conducting research in UN peacekeeping while he was a research assistant for her.

“I think the more I got into it, the more I realized there were a lot of unanswered questions in this area. This is a phenomenon that happening now and it attempting to alleviate conflict and suffering in various countries,” he said. “Any research that can contribute to understanding how to better carry that operation out would make it all the more worthwhile doing.”

Other exciting opportunities he looks forward to are traveling to both San Francisco to present the second instalment of his dissertation and the UN headquarters in New York to conduct interviews with staff there.

Passmore attributes the majority of his success to the community in the political science department. “CU has been a great place to study and I’ve had a very good experience the last four years here. The political science department is very close-knit. We have a very supportive faculty,” he said. “I don’t think I would’ve had the same opportunities at another university. It just been a very collegial environment. I’m very grateful for that.”

His gracious advice for the CU community is as follows: “I think one thing that has become very apparent to me is the importance of character. No one really talks about personal character anymore. Society talks about process, efficiency, and success at any cost, but I’ve found that in my experience, character is one of the most significant predictors of success.”

Passmore emphasizes that working hard at the little things with integrity is what prepares and sets one up for moving on to greater challenges. His sincerity and humility are evident in his appraisal of both his personal achievements and experience at CU, and we wish him the best in his next projects.

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