Jared Oestman (Political Science) and Rick K. Wilson (Political Science, Rice University) published "" in the Journal of Experimental Political Science. The authors used a laboratory experiment to evaluate the extent to which impartiality matters in efforts by third-party peacekeepers to aid ex-combatants in overcoming mistrust. They found evidence that peacekeepers that are biased toward a group previously involved in conflict impede trust while unbiased peacekeepers are effective at promoting cooperative exchanges between disputants over time. The findings contribute to a growing area of research that highlights the different ways in which third-parties promote and sustain peace in post-conflict settings.
