Why does liberal democracy take hold in some countries but not in others? Why do we observe such different outcomes in military interventions, from Germany and Japan to Afghanistan and Iraq? Do efforts to export democracy help as much as they hurt? These are some of the most enduring questions...

This paper analyzes the economic reconstruction of Iraq following the 2003, U.S-led invasion. Tracing the foundations and trajectory of the reconstruction, I explain how efforts have fallen prey to the four reconstruction traps identified by Coyne and Pellillo (2010). These traps have hampered...