Journal Article - Quarterly Journal: International Security
Governance without Government in Somalia: Spoilers, State Building, and the Politics of Coping
Abstract
Zones of state failure are assumed to be anarchic. In reality, communities facing the absence of an effective state authority forge systems of governance to provide modest levels of security and rule of law. Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in Somalia, where an array of local and regional governance arrangements have emerged since the 1991 collapse of the state. The Somalia case can be used both to document the rise of governance without government in a zone of state collapse and to assess the changing interests of local actors seeking to survive and prosper in a context of state failure. The interests of key actors can and do shift over time as they accrue resources and investments; the shift “from warlord to landlord” gives some actors greater interests in governance and security, but not necessarily in state revival; risk aversion infuses decisionmaking in areas of state failure; and state-building initiatives generally fail to account for the existence of local governance arrangements. The possibilities and problems of the “mediated state model,” in which weak states negotiate political access through existing local authorities, are considerable.
Want to Read More?
The full text of this publication is available via the original publication source.
For more information on this publication:
Please contact
International Security
For Academic Citation:
Menkhaus, Ken. “Governance without Government in Somalia: Spoilers, State Building, and the Politics of Coping.” Quarterly Journal: International Security, vol. 31. no. 3. (Winter 2006/07): 74-106 .
- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Analysis & Opinions
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
The Other Side of the Strait: The Strategic Significance of the Houthi’s Aggression for East Africa
Analysis & Opinions
- Brookings Institution
When Ukraine Set Course for Europe
Journal Article
- H-Diplo | Robert Jervis International Security Studies Forum
H-Diplo|RJISSF Roundtable 15-26 on Hazelton, Bullets not Ballots
In the Spotlight
Most Viewed
Report
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Arctic Climate Science: A Way Forward for Cooperation through the Arctic Council and Beyond
Paper
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
Attacking Artificial Intelligence: AI’s Security Vulnerability and What Policymakers Can Do About It
Abstract
Zones of state failure are assumed to be anarchic. In reality, communities facing the absence of an effective state authority forge systems of governance to provide modest levels of security and rule of law. Nowhere is this phenomenon more evident than in Somalia, where an array of local and regional governance arrangements have emerged since the 1991 collapse of the state. The Somalia case can be used both to document the rise of governance without government in a zone of state collapse and to assess the changing interests of local actors seeking to survive and prosper in a context of state failure. The interests of key actors can and do shift over time as they accrue resources and investments; the shift “from warlord to landlord” gives some actors greater interests in governance and security, but not necessarily in state revival; risk aversion infuses decisionmaking in areas of state failure; and state-building initiatives generally fail to account for the existence of local governance arrangements. The possibilities and problems of the “mediated state model,” in which weak states negotiate political access through existing local authorities, are considerable.
Want to Read More?
The full text of this publication is available via the original publication source.- Recommended
- In the Spotlight
- Most Viewed
Recommended
Analysis & Opinions - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
The Other Side of the Strait: The Strategic Significance of the Houthi’s Aggression for East Africa
Analysis & Opinions - Brookings Institution
When Ukraine Set Course for Europe
Journal Article - H-Diplo | Robert Jervis International Security Studies Forum
H-Diplo|RJISSF Roundtable 15-26 on Hazelton, Bullets not Ballots
In the Spotlight
Most Viewed
Report - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and UiT The Arctic University of Norway
Arctic Climate Science: A Way Forward for Cooperation through the Arctic Council and Beyond
Paper - Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School
Attacking Artificial Intelligence: AI’s Security Vulnerability and What Policymakers Can Do About It