Skip to Content

Department of Political Science

Juan Tellez on the construction of peace agreements and public support for peace

In an article published by The Journal of Peace Research, Juan Tellez explores the consequences that peace agreement design -- the set of terms under which an armed conflict will peacefully come to an end -- has for patterns of public support in societies at war. Conflict negotiations can spark controversy, as political leaders and citizens often disagree about whether and how the war should be brought to an end. Peace agreements are at the heart of these controversies, yet there is much we do not know about how citizens think about peace agreements. What kinds of agreements does the public prefer? Which agreement terms are most or least popular? And, how do people's experiences during the war shape their peace agreement preferences? Tellez uses original data from a survey experiment fielded during the historic 2016 Colombian peace process to shed light on these questions. The results help us understand how the construction of peace agreements can exacerbate or diminish political obstacles to peace, and has implications for negotiators and activists seeking to increase public investment in peace-building. 

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

©