Failed States and Institutional Dec

Globalization and interdependence have had a great impact on state sovereignty. Some states have lost their ability to provide for their citizens, sustain stable borders, prevent internal conflict, and deal with transnational terrorist networks. Labeled "failed states," they become the target of foreign intervention and preventative foreign policies.

This book explains the causes and consequences of state failure by examining what constitutes a failed state and what is meant by institutional decay and by exploring the different types of institutional decay in terms of economic, military, political, and social institutions. It addresses failure in authoritarian states, its association with terrorism, its diffusion to other states, and the impact of regional challenges on state institutions.

In addition to a comprehensive overview of the theories and models of state failure, this unique text features in-depth qualitative analyses, examples from around the developing world, and sidebars to clarify concepts and contexts. A synthesis of current research, it will offer students in comparative politics and international relations an invaluable contextual understanding of institutional decay, its roots, and consequences.

What do we mean by failed states and why is this concept important to study? The “failed states” literature is important because it aims to understand how state institutions (or lack thereof) impact conflict, crime, coups, terrorism and economic performance. In spite of this objective, the “failed state” literature has not focused enough on how institutions operate in the developing world. This book unpacks the state, by examining the administrative, security, judicial and political institutions separately. By doing so, the book offers a more comprehensive and clear picture of how the state functions or does not function in the developing world, merging the failed state and institutionalist literatures. Rather than merely describing states in crisis, this book explains how and why different types of institutions deteriorate. Moreover, the book illustrates the impact that institutional decay has on political instability and poverty using examples not only from Africa but from all around the world.

Natasha Ezrow is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at the University of Essex, UK, where she serves as the Director of the International Development Studies Program. With Erica Frantz, she co-authored The Politics of Dictatorships (2011) and Dictators and Dictatorships (2011).

Erica Frantz is an Assistant Professor at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. With Natasha Ezrow, she co-authored The Politics of Dictatorships (2011) and Dictators and Dictatorships (2011). Her work has been presented at the American Political Science Association and the Midwest Political Science Association Conferences.

IntroductionPart I. Definition of Concepts and Theories1. Controversies and Overview2. Definitions of Failed States, Institutions, Measurements and Institutional Decay3. Historical, Situational, Global and Ideological Causes of Institutional DecayPart II. Institutional Decay and Development: Regional Trends4. Africa5. South/Central Asia and the Caucasus6. The Middle EastPart III. Uncovering the Myths and Controversies about State Failure7. Flawed Democracies and Dictatorships8. Terrorism9. Conflict10. Poverty and Economic Decay 11. Controversies of Intervention, Aid Dependence and State BuildingConclusionAnnotated BibliographyIndex