When states fail : causes and consequences / Robert I. Rotberg, editor.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Rotberg, Robert I.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Legitimacy of governments--Developing countries.

Legitimacy of governments.

World politics--1989-.

World politics.

Developing countries--Politics and government.

Developing countries.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

x, 335 pages : maps ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, [2004]

Summary:

Since 1990, more than 10 million people have been killed in the civil wars of failed states, and hundreds of millions more have been deprived of fundamental rights. The threat of terrorism has only heightened the problem posed by failed states. When States Fail is the first book to examine how and why states decay and what, if anything, can be done to prevent them from collapsing. It defines and categorizes strong, weak, failing, and collapsed nation-states according to political, social, and economic criteria. And it offers a comprehensive recipe for their reconstruction. The book comprises fourteen essays by leading scholars and practitioners who help structure this disparate field of research, provide useful empirical descriptions, and offer policy recommendations. Robert Rotberg's substantial opening chapter sets out a theory and taxonomy of state failure. It is followed by two sets of chapters, the first on the nature and correlates of failure, the second on methods of preventing state failure and recon-structing those states that do fail. Economic jump-starting, legal refurbishing, elections, the demobilizing of ex-combatants, and civil society are among the many topics discussed. All of the essays are previously unpublished. In addition to Rotberg, the contributors include David Carment, Christopher Clapham, Nat J. Colletta, Jeffrey Herbst, Nelson Kasfir, Michael T. Klare, Markus Kostner, Terrence Lyons, Jens Meierhenrich, Daniel N. Posner, Susan Rose-Ackerman, Donald R. Snodgrass, Nicolas van de Walle, Jennifer A. Widner, and Ingo Wiederhofer.

Contents:

1 The Failure and Collapse of Nation-States: Breakdown, Prevention, and Repair / Robert I. Rotbery 1

Part 1 The Causes and Prevention of Failure 51

2 Domestic Anarchy, Security Dilemmas, and Violent Predation: Causes of Failure / Nelson Kasfir 53

3 The Global-Local Politics of State Decay / Christopher Clapham 77

4 The Economic Correlates of State Failure: Taxes, Foreign Aid, and Policies / Nicolas van de Walle 94

5 The Deadly Connection: Paramilitary Bands, Small Arms Diffusion, and State Failure / Michael T. Klare 116

6 Preventing State Failure / David Carment 135

Part 2 Post-Failure Resuscitation of Nation-States 151

7 Forming States after Failure / Jens Meierhenrich 153

8 Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration: Lessons and Liabilities in Reconstruction / Nat J. Colletta, Markus Kostner, Ingo Wiederhofer 170

9 Establishing the Rule of Law / Susan Rose-Ackerman 182

10 Building Effective Trust in the Aftermath of Severe Conflict / Jennifer A. Widner 222

11 Civil Society and the Reconstruction of Failed States / Daniel N. Posner 237

12 Restoring Economic Functioning in Failed States / Donald R. Snodgrass 256

13 Transforming the Institutions of War: Postconflict Elections and the Reconstruction of Failed States / Terrence Lyons 269

14 Let Them Fail: State Failure in Theory and Practice: Implications for Policy / Jeffrey Herbst 302.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0691116717

0691116725

OCLC:

51655557