Sisk breaks down his argument about what best sustains peace into several main chapters for his framework. This wiki will address the main empirical findings based on the literature discussed in these chapters:

In Chapter 4, Sisk begins exploring what undercuts a state’s authority following political violence, as security and social development aspects of statebuilding require state authority to begin. Sisk states that lapses in authority arise from several sources, such as weak military forces that are unable to maintain territorial integrity, the existence of separate gangs or militias, or informal leaders that question the ultimate authority of the state. To begin, demilitarization of hostile parties is necessary, who then must relinquish authority to the state. This is often achieved with the assistance of U.N. Peacekeepers, as peace operations lead to less recurrence of conflict. Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) is a key strategy used achieve peace, as former fighters then return to civil life and hopefully contribute to the state’s economy. Security reform is often necessary to heal social trust, which is a key component of the reconciliation needed for a state to generate authority.

In Chapter 5, Sisk states that state capacity is important because when a government fails to fulfill the basic needs of its people, socio-economic development will be limited, and a state will continue to be fragile. Poor economic growth, high levels of inequality, and dependence on certain resources (like oil) contribute to conflict recurrence, making it important for a state to address these issues. To improve state capacity, Sisk finds that involvement of women in development, emphasis on job creation and rule of law, prevention of outside groups controlling revenue from natural resources, and short-term cash payments to improve the livelihood of beneficiaries (to reduce vulnerability) as good strategies. These solutions are interesting to think about, but it should be noted that even the best solutions have drawbacks. For example, job creation might not be done equally in all populations, further exacerbating inequality.

In Chapter 6, Sisk notes the importance of the implementation of an accountable democracy to successful statebuilding, as interim governments often lead to conflict recurrence. Sisk stresses the importance of including all minority or identity groups in the political process. This can be achieved through coalition government, minority vetoes, power-sharing in government (such as a dual presidency), and decentralization of power to local leaders. Sisk also notes that proportional electoral systems are better than first-past-the-post for minority inclusion. To achieve legitimacy, atrocities by certain groups need to be addressed, often by prosecution. Finally, Sisk notes that for the creation of a legitimate state, practitioners should view the situation as an ongoing dialogue, as every situation is context dependent. This is especially important to note, as practitioners can fall into the trap of applying strategies that are culturally or contextually inappropriate.