Photo: January 1999 article from the archives of Kosovar newspaper Koha Ditore, describing ethnic Albanians' use of Nike's "JUST DO IT" slogan to call for NATO intervention in the Kosovo War
Welcome to my website!
My name is Cameron Mailhot. I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Government at Cornell University, and I am currently on the job market!
My research broadly falls into the fields of international security and conflict; peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and statebuilding; and democratization and political transitions. More specifically, I study the short- and long-term impacts that the international community has on societies undergoing post-conflict and post-authoritarian transitions, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe and the Balkans. I am furthermore interested in understanding the determinants of social and political trust in these contexts and the ways in which compounded legacies of repression and violence shape state-society relations. Relatedly, I also study the politics of intergroup relations. I have conducted fieldwork in Kosovo, Liberia, and Lithuania.
In my dissertation project, I examine the causes and effects of the variation in the peacebuilding and statebuilding activities in which international missions engage. The United Nations, regional organizations, and established research assert that the effectiveness of international missions in promoting peace often relies on their ability to enforce peace agreements in their entirety. However, missions only engage in a minority of the peacebuilding and statebuilding activities outlined in the peace agreements they are mandated to enforce. When and where do these discrepancies arise; what are their causes; and what are their effects on important outcomes, such as peace, democracy, and development?
To answer these questions, I build and test a novel two-part theory about the role of international missions in post-conflict countries. The first part draws attention to the increasingly programmatic nature of peacebuilding adopted by UN and regional organizations' missions and argues for a new analytical framework for understanding their impact and effectiveness. The second part draws direct links between missions and citizens' trust in public institutions by examining the effects of the increasingly deep and long-term embedding of international missions in post-conflict societies.
My dissertation research necessarily takes on a mixed-methods approach. I test my arguments by combining longitudinal analyses of original cross-national data with quantitative and qualitative archival research, public and elite interviews, and original surveys in Kosovo.
I have been published in International Peacekeeping and Small Wars & Insurgencies, and I have written for the policy community and public audiences with American Councils (on behalf of the US Department of State), the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, and The Washington Post. My research and training have been graciously supported by a host of institutes, centers, and initiatives, including:
I grew up on the Cuyuna Iron Range, a former mining community in Northern Minnesota with a deep national history and strong international ties. I enjoy skiing, swimming, weight training, and baking in my free time, and I am endlessly in search of the best potato-based recipe. I am also an advocate for other first-generation, low-income students in higher education and academia, more broadly. If there's any way I can help, please, do reach out!
Twitter: @crmailhot
My research broadly falls into the fields of international security and conflict; peacekeeping, peacebuilding, and statebuilding; and democratization and political transitions. More specifically, I study the short- and long-term impacts that the international community has on societies undergoing post-conflict and post-authoritarian transitions, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe and the Balkans. I am furthermore interested in understanding the determinants of social and political trust in these contexts and the ways in which compounded legacies of repression and violence shape state-society relations. Relatedly, I also study the politics of intergroup relations. I have conducted fieldwork in Kosovo, Liberia, and Lithuania.
In my dissertation project, I examine the causes and effects of the variation in the peacebuilding and statebuilding activities in which international missions engage. The United Nations, regional organizations, and established research assert that the effectiveness of international missions in promoting peace often relies on their ability to enforce peace agreements in their entirety. However, missions only engage in a minority of the peacebuilding and statebuilding activities outlined in the peace agreements they are mandated to enforce. When and where do these discrepancies arise; what are their causes; and what are their effects on important outcomes, such as peace, democracy, and development?
To answer these questions, I build and test a novel two-part theory about the role of international missions in post-conflict countries. The first part draws attention to the increasingly programmatic nature of peacebuilding adopted by UN and regional organizations' missions and argues for a new analytical framework for understanding their impact and effectiveness. The second part draws direct links between missions and citizens' trust in public institutions by examining the effects of the increasingly deep and long-term embedding of international missions in post-conflict societies.
My dissertation research necessarily takes on a mixed-methods approach. I test my arguments by combining longitudinal analyses of original cross-national data with quantitative and qualitative archival research, public and elite interviews, and original surveys in Kosovo.
I have been published in International Peacekeeping and Small Wars & Insurgencies, and I have written for the policy community and public audiences with American Councils (on behalf of the US Department of State), the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, and The Washington Post. My research and training have been graciously supported by a host of institutes, centers, and initiatives, including:
- American Councils
- The American Institute for Southeast European Studies
- The Judith Reppy Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies
- The Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies
- The National Council for Eurasian and East European Research
- The Purdue Peace Project
- The Qualitative and Interpretive Research Institute
- The United States Department of State
- The United States Institute of Peace
I grew up on the Cuyuna Iron Range, a former mining community in Northern Minnesota with a deep national history and strong international ties. I enjoy skiing, swimming, weight training, and baking in my free time, and I am endlessly in search of the best potato-based recipe. I am also an advocate for other first-generation, low-income students in higher education and academia, more broadly. If there's any way I can help, please, do reach out!
Twitter: @crmailhot
