Publication

This paper examines governance in Iraq under the Coalition Provisional Authority. The author argues that the coalition’s experience in erecting democratic structures in Iraq offers a number of lessons for efforts to create or strengthen democratic institutions in future stability operations. The paper concludes that the original US plan for establishing an Iraqi government could not be implemented after the bureaucratic and administrative structures collapsed and looting destroyed government ministries. It also concludes that the lack of accurate information about the state of Iraqi society and infrastructure led to overly optimistic projections.