Failed States in Theoretical, Historical, and Policy Perspectives

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract


Failed states have been a central preoccupation of scholars and international policy makers in the post-Cold War period. In addition to the violence wrought by loss of control in these states, they are charged with creating refugee flows, impeding economic development, facilitating narcotics trafficking, and providing safe haven for terrorists—leading to calls for them to be fixed by the international community. This chapter argues to the contrary that, first, failed states are not monolithic; second, violence and state failure are not synonymous; and third, the international community contributes to state failure as much as it may facilitate state rebuilding.
Original languageAmerican English
Title of host publicationControl of Violence : Historical and International Perspectives on Violence in Modern Societies
StatePublished - 2011

Disciplines

  • Political History
  • Political Science

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