Pathways to State Failure

Jack Goldstone

Conflict Management and Peace Science, 2008, vol. 25, issue 4, 285-296

Abstract: Attempts to forecast or remedy state failure would benefit from a clearer view of the multiple pathways that can lead states to fail. This paper delineates five pathways: escalating ethnic conflicts, state predation, regional guerrilla rebellion, democratic collapse, and succession/reform crises in authoritarian states. Each of these five pathways involves changes in the legitimacy and effectiveness of regimes; state failures follow upon the loss of both legitimacy and effectiveness. Examples are provided and guidelines are offered for efforts to avert failure in fragile states.

Keywords: state failure; reconstruction; stabilization; democracy; ethnic conflict (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:compsc:v:25:y:2008:i:4:p:285-296

DOI: 10.1080/07388940802397343

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