| This study identifies the lessons for current and future U.S. nation building initiatives that are offered by the role sub-national identities played in the failure of two past nation building projects, in the American South after the Civil War and in Iraq after the 2003 invasion. Detailed accounts of the Southern and Iraqi experiences with state building seek to identify valid generalizations about the role and development of sub-national identities. Special attention is paid to how identity was actively constructed, the primary agents of identity construction, the role of violence, the implications of sub-national identity conflict for democracy, and the alignment of identities with economic divisions. The main conclusion is that in post-conflict societies, the existing fault lines of identity are likely to widen through mutual fear, distrust, and the deliberate efforts of entrenched economic subgroups seeking to maintain an elite position. Policymakers must avoid assuming that redefining the political structure will automatically reshape the social and economic structure of a society. Unless all spheres of power relations are addressed, attempts to build viable societies--whether led from without or from within--will fail. |
