The relationship between democracy and state-building in Iraq after 2003.

The central purpose of this paper is to examine the process of democracy within state-building in Iraq after 2003. The research question that will guide the overall argument in this study is as follows: “What has been the role of democracy in the process of state-building in Iraq since 2003?” It is worth investigating this question because it will help show whether the process of democracy has played a crucial role in building a strong state in Iraq. It will also assist in exploring the main mechanisms of democracy like power-sharing, developing the economy, protecting individual rights, and providing security that has played a significant role in the democratization process, during which time Iraq has made several attempts to establish democratic state-building that has democratic institutions and a multi-party system, in addition to holding several elections. By looking at Chetail’s (2009) framework of democratic processes in post-conflict countries, this research argues that the process of democracy in Iraqi state-building has been deeply fragmented. Thus, since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, one of the main objectives of US policy has been to distribute democracy as a strong support of Iraqi state-building.