Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Examines the causes of state fragility and collapse, and assesses the challenges of reconstruction. Focusing on cases from different regions, we will explore the security dimensions of state fragility, the role of humanitarian intervention, the challenge of building democratic institutions in divided societies, and the relationship between state building and peace building.

COURSE DETAILS:

This graduate seminar focuses on the topics of state formation, state decay, and reconstruction in the wake of state ‘failure’ or collapse. We will pay particular attention to debates over international intervention in fragile or ‘failing’ states.

The term “state failure” has become common currency in the media and policy world in recent decades. Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the notion became commonplace that some states are unable to effectively control their territory, leading to security threats for other countries and to humanitarian crises. In 2002, the United States declared failed states to be a greater threat than its large, geopolitical competitors; a year later, the European Union published a similar policy.

The corollary to these theories became “state-building” or “state reconstruction,” endeavors that received practical application after the civil wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, and then with far greater resources in Afghanistan and Iraq. Version of these approaches then also became apparent in the concept of “state fragility,” propagated in particular by the World Bank, and in the “stabilization” missions that the United Nations has embarked upon.

Over the course of the semester, we will explore the following questions:

• What are the defining characteristics of the state; and, what are its key functions?
• What is state ‘failure’; and, how is it different from state ‘weakness’?
• Why do states ‘fail’? And, what are the consequences of such failure, both domestically (for the people who live in failed states) and internationally?
• Do failed states pose a threat to international security? If so, how?
• How should the international community respond to the political challenges and humanitarian crises caused by failed or failing states? What policies or practices might help to prevent state failure?
• Can external actors be effective in promoting reconstruction?
• What are the key ethical issues associated with international intervention and state-building?
• Should military force ever be used to try to relieve the suffering caused by state failure?
• What can be done to promote social reconciliation in the wake of conflict and to create enduring peace?

We will examine contending scholarly perspectives on these issues; and, we will draw on research by scholars in a range of academic disciplines and fields (including international relations, sociology, comparative politics, and anthropology).

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

In completing this course, students will develop an ability to:

• Describe and analyze the processes and conditions of state formation
• Analyze the causes of state break down and collapse
• Understand key security challenges associated with the breakdown of states and assess contending perspectives on how to address these challenges
• Analyze the role of international organizations in post-conflict reconstruction
• Understand and analyze the challenges of building democratic institutions in post conflict settings
• Evaluate contending perspectives on how to manage the challenges involved in building institutions in post-conflict settings
• Evaluate policies aimed at social reconciliation and reintegration
• Communicate ideas clearly and persuasively, both orally and in writing

Grading

Materials

REQUIRED READING: