Professional Affiliation

Ph.D., Northwestern University; Assistant Professor, Kenyon College

Expert Bio

Jacqueline R. McAllister is currently an Assistant Professor at Kenyon College.  She received her doctorate in political science from Northwestern University in June 2014.  She also holds a BA from Wellesley College.  Her current research focuses on whether, how, and when international criminal tribunals impact violence against civilians and peace prospects.  Her work draws on extensive archival and interview data collected throughout The Netherlands and Southeast Europe (in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, and Macedonia).  The National Science Foundation, the American Association of University Women, and the American Council of Learned Societies have all supported her research.  In addition, Jacqueline worked on a collaborative project with Karen Alter and Laurence Helfer on the Economic Community of West African States' Court of Justice.  The project took the team to Abuja, Nigeria.  Jacqueline has also published short stories in Leptir Mašna.

Wilson Center Project

On Knife's Edge: The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia's Wartime Impact

Project Summary

The post-Cold War era has witnessed horrific violence against civilians.  In the Bosnian War alone, tens of thousands of civilians perished.  The founders of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia hoped that it might curb such atrocities and restore peace.  However, we still know very little about its actual impact.  My research examines whether, how, and when the ICTY affected violence against civilians and peace prospects.  Drawing on extensive interview and archival data collected in The Hague and Southeast Europe, I find that ICTY played a key role in de-escalation and facilitating peace agreements.  Its officials marginalized spoilers and deterred combatants.  The Tribunal also provided mediators with an important source of leverage.  However, ICTY officials were only able to undercut one-sided violence when they: (1) secured cooperation on enforcement tasks, and/or (2) confronted combatant leaders who perceived few ex ante benefits in deploying violence against civilians.

Major Publications

Helfer, Laurence, Karen Alter, and Jacqueline McAllister. “A New International Human Rights Court for West Africa: The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.” American Journal of International Law (October 2013).