Divided by Design: Electoral Systems and Inter-Ethnic Conflict in Post-Colonial States

Electoral systems are frequently proposed as institutional solutions to ethnic conflict in divided societies, yet their independent causal role is often overstated. This paper examines the relationship between majoritarian electoral systems and inter-ethnic conflict, arguing that electoral rules function as institutional amplifiers of pre-existing structural conditions rather than independent causes of conflict. Through an analysis of historical institutionalism, prebendalism, and ethnic outbidding theory, this paper identifies a causal mechanism through which majoritarian competition incentivizes ethnic mobilization and systematically excludes minority groups from political participation, creating the conditions for inter-ethnic conflict.