Failed States

States Weber: legitimate monopoly of violence + extract taxes provide public services 14th-17th century: monarchs, war, taxes, bureaucracies 19th/20th century  nation-state Colonial boundaries retained after independence Post-WWII: high demands made on states

What’s a Failed State? loss of physical control of territory or a monopoly on the legitimate use of force erosion of legitimate authority to make collective decisions an inability to provide reasonable public services (according to the Fund for Peace) “the collapse of state institutions, especially the police and judiciary, with resulting paralysis of governance, a breakdown of law and order, and general banditry and chaos. Not only are the functions of government suspended, but its assets are destroyed or looted and experienced officials are killed or flee the country.” --Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Indicators (FP Magazine) Social Indicators 1.  Mounting Demographic Pressures 2.  Massive Movement of Refugees or Internally Displaced Persons creating Complex Humanitarian Emergencies 3.  Legacy of Vengeance-Seeking Group Grievance or Group Paranoia 4.  Chronic and Sustained Human Flight  Economic Indicators 5.  Uneven Economic Development along Group Lines 6.  Sharp and/or Severe Economic Decline  Political Indicators 7.  Criminalization and/or Delegitimization of the State 8.  Progressive Deterioration of Public Services 9.  Suspension or Arbitrary Application of the Rule of Law and Widespread Violation of Human Rights 10. Security Apparatus Operates as a "State Within a State" 11. Rise of Factionalized Elites 12. Intervention of Other States or External Political Actors

Who’s a Failed State?

2009 “Winners” 1) Somalia 2) Zimbabwe 3) Sudan 4) Chad 5) Democratic Republic of the Congo 6) Iraq 7) Afghanistan 8) Central African Republic 9) Guinea 10) Pakistan http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/06/22/2009_failed_states_index_interactive_map_and_rankings

Why Should We Care About Failed States? Failed states  civil war

Wars Over Time

Why Should We Care About Failed States? Failed states  civil war Spillover Breakdown of public health, infrastructure famine, epidemics Illicit trade Terrorism

Why States Fail I: Identity-based Conflict 19th and 20th century conflicts involved nation-states Emergence of sub-national, supra-national identities in 21st century Samuel Huntington, “Clash of Civilizations” (1993) Civilization: “highest cultural grouping of people and the broadest level of cultural identity people have short of that which distinguishes humans from other species.” 8 civilizations

Huntington’s World

Why States Fail I: Identity-based Conflict 19th and 20th century conflicts involved nation-states “Re-emergence” of ancient identities in 21st century? Samuel Huntington, “Clash of Civilizations” (1993) Civilization: “highest cultural grouping of people and the broadest level of cultural identity people have short of that which distinguishes humans from other species.” 8 civilizations Faultlines

Faultlines?

Why States Fail I: Identity-based Conflict 19th and 20th century conflicts involved nation-states “Re-emergence” of ancient identities in 21st century? Samuel Huntington, “Clash of Civilizations” (1993) Civilization: “highest cultural grouping of people and the broadest level of cultural identity people have short of that which distinguishes humans from other species.” 8 civilizations Faultlines Influential in (some) policy circles Criticism: Selective evidence; simplistic; self-fulfilling?

Why States Fail II: Colonial Legacies Artificial borders Low levels of development Independence without state institutions Failed attempts to build national identity Incompetent governance Corruption Patronage (buying support) Autocracy Extreme poverty and debt

Why Do States Fail? Artificial borders Low levels of development Premature independence Failed attempts to build national identity Incompetent governance Corruption Patronage Autocracy Extreme poverty and debt End of Cold War support Greed and grievance

“Africa’s World War”

DRC’s Collapse Cold War support (Mobutu installed 1965) Corrupt, repressive government End of Cold War support Rebellion, plunder Opportunistic intervention

How to Fix Failed States? Externally driven state-building  long-term commitment, intelligent planning, deep understanding of society and culture, international cooperation, lots of money, acceptance of casualties Need a state-building corps? Governance reform Foreign aid, debt relief Containment Why it’s difficult: collective action problem—everyone waits for everyone else to act