Failed and failing states pose an international threat to the stability and security of the global community. They lack the ability to provide the basic necessities for their citizens which leads to extreme poverty and creates an environment of disorder, chaos, and anarchy. The escalation of the threat of terrorism has further exacerbated the problem of failing states from a strictly humanitarian crisis within the individual countries themselves, to one that reverberates throughout the surrounding countries and the world in general because of today’s interconnectedness. The power vacuum created by the absence of a stable government enables criminals, warlords, and terrorists to fill the gap and puts innocent lives at risk. US Secretary of State …show more content…
While there does not seem to be an international agreement on what defines weak, failing, or failed states, Rotberg provides a comprehensive explanation of them on his online blog titled Failed and Weak States Defined. In this piece (2013), Rotberg notes that there are four types of states with all categories being fluid: strong, weak, failing, and failed. Countries that rank near the bottom of the weak state status have the added distinction of being classified as failing states. According to Rotberg, failing states supply less than an adequate quantity of political goods, or poorer-quality political goods, and may prey upon its people (Rotberg 2013). For some states, the process of decline is gradual and conditions deteriorate over an extended period of time, while other states experience a rapid descent because of internal political, economic, or situational crisis. Once a state finds themselves categorized with this precarious label, external assistance from other states and international organizations is …show more content…
Of the 178 states that have been ranked on the 2015 Fragile States Index, four states fall under the ‘Very High Alert’ heading, twelve under the ‘High Alert’, and another twenty-two under ‘Alert’. It can be construed that the four nations under the Very High Alert category would equate to the old failed nation status, while the High Alert is somewhat ambiguous and could be deemed either as failed or in the failing stages. These numbers suggest that nine percent of the recognized nations in the world are failing or have failed and another thirteen percent are heading to the same fate. Some experts have this number as high as forty percent. With estimates as high as the ones mentioned, it is important for the international community to recognize that the problems of these nations are not restricted within its borders, but that they pose a challenge for the global community as well. As the 2015 Fragile States Index report reveals “In a highly interconnected world, with a globalized economy, information systems and interlaced security, pressures on one fragile state can have serious repercussions not only for that state and its people, but also for its neighbors and other states halfway across the globe” (Messner et al. 2015, 16). Although not all of the failing or failed states automatically present a risk,
International organizations such as NATO and the UN are essential not only for global peace, but also as a place where middle powers can exert their influence. It is understandable that since the inception of such organizations that many crises have been averted, resolved, or dealt with in some way thro...
...state. Failure to include local forces immensely reduces our span of influence and increase dependency between the host nation and the USG.
Shiraev, Eric B., and Vladislav M. Zubok. International Relations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014.
Wendt, Alexander. “Constructing International Politics.” International Security. Cambridge: President and Fellows of Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995. 71-81. Print.
The countries that achieved independence were not successful for reasons such as their failure to establish diplomatic relations with other countries and weak infrastructure; these reasons combined resulted in a weak country.
My answer to these two questions is threefold: First, I assert that TSMs and INGOs can and have posed substantial normative challenges to state hegemony, most commonly the notion that the state enjoys a monopoly on representation of its citizens and their interests. Furthermore, TSMs and INGOs that employ the use of violence (particularly terrorism) breach the conventional notion that states...
Rethinking Violence: States and Non-state Actors in Conflict. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, 2010. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed April 22, 2014).
...on, the decay of the Country’s political infrastructure, and the growing support of terrorist organizations in the region, are all systematic results of the effects of poverty. In conclusion Yemen must combat its health problem with both preemptive and reactive measures. Yemen must find common ground amongst its various political factions and unify politically to develop a truly governing nation. Yemen must also irradiate all terrorist factions in the region in order to prevent future recruitment into terrorist organizations. These measures are necessary to ensure that the effects of poverty on the people of Yemen are mitigated and minimal. This can only be achieved through the continuation of outside financial, medical, and political assistance from its neighboring countries in the region as well as the support of counter-terrorist organizations worldwide.
Why do nations fail? This is a topic of popular debate with many economists and a question many scholars have struggled to find an answer to. Global poverty is an issue that economists Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson investigate and provide an alternative insight for in their book: ‘Why Nations Fail’. Acemoglu and Robinson investigate inequalities that exist across countries and why nations are an epitome of success and others, failure. They come up with an alternative explanation for why standards of living differ across countries, and why a gap exists between the rich and poor. The book introduces an example of two cities that are separated by a border: Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora. On the American side of the border, the income of the average household is $30,000, the population is relatively healthy, and the citizens live prosperously (Acemoglu & Robinson, 2012). On the opposite side of the border in Mexico, majority of the population do not own a high school degree, poor health conditions exist, poor infrastructure and unfortunately, high infant mortality rates (Acemoglu & Robinson 2012). How can situations on opposite borders be so different? The basis for Acemoglu and Robison’ s thesis for this phenomenon is that of institutions. They propose that that there is a strong correlation between economic and political institutions. That is, inclusive political institutions support inclusive economic institutions, and extractive political institutions support extractive economic institutions (Acemoglu & Robinson, 2012). Democratic institutions generally allow opportunities for the majority, leading to positive economic growth. Political institutions that look after a narrow elite is reinforced with stag...
Weak state is characterized by absence of order, security, lack of infrastructure, broken laws. But this does not mean the complete absence of any exiting legal system or the complete disappearance of political sovereignty. For Reno (2001), weak state may still have juridical sovereignty and recognizable presence within the international community. In Yemen, and despite the enormously weakening of state institutions following the Yemeni uprisings, legal and educational systems are still operating and Yemenis are still capable of travelling, obtaining legal documents, and enrolling in schools. That being said, the theoretical debate on weak state is not certainly settled as there are still moral questions need to be answered such as to what extent is weak state could also be a direct result of strong state military intervention and economic
Mingst, K. (2011). Essentials of international relations. (5th ed., p. 70). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.
Whenever world politics is mentioned, the state that appears to be at the apex of affairs is the United States of America, although some will argue that it isn’t. It is paramount we know that the international system is shaped by certain defining events that has lead to some significant changes, particularly those connected with different chapters of violence. Certainly, the world wars of the twentieth century and the more recent war on terror must be included as defining moments. The warning of brute force on a potentially large scale also highlights the vigorousness of the cold war period, which dominated world politics within an interval of four decades. The practice of international relations (IR) was introduced out of a need to discuss the causes of war and the different conditions for calm in the wake of the first world war, and it is relevant we know that this has remained a crucial focus ever since. However, violence is not the only factor capable of causing interruption in the international system. Economic elements also have a remarkable impact. The great depression that happened in the 1920s, and the global financial crises of the contemporary period can be used as examples. Another concurrent problem concerns the environment, with the human climate being one among different number of important concerns for the continuing future of humankind and the planet in general.
Globalization and the increasing role of non-state actors have shifted the position of states, the traditional “main players” in global governance. However, whether this change undermines states is debatable. In one sense, states’ roles have somewhat diminished: Non-governmental entities – namely transnational corporations (TNC), but also global non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and others – have an increasing voice in global policy debates, which may lessen states’ influence in governmental affairs. But in several other key ways, states’ retain their powerful role. For example, states remain the key negotiators and entities in major global governance entities. Additionally, states retain compulsory power over their subjects or constituents, a form of control that new players in global governments have generally not obtained.
...ment and well-being. It is clear that without the ongoing presence and work of international organisations, the international system would be in a far worse and more chaotic state, with a far greater chance for a civil war to breakout. They also are a major player in helping develop states political and economical systems.
Why Nations Fail takes an in depth look into why some countries flourish and become rich powerful nations while other countries are left in or reduced to poverty. Throughout this book review I will discuss major arguments and theories used by the authors and how they directly impact international development, keeping in mind that nations are only as strong as their political and economical systems.