State Transitions from Rigidity to Fragility and Failure: The Case of Middle East and North Africa |
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Authors: | Hamid E. Ali |
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Affiliation: | 1. School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Department of Public Policy and Administration, American University, Cairo, Egypthali@aucegypt.edu |
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Abstract: | ABSTRACTThe taxonomy of the state’s effective governance capacity present in the literature is evolving around state fragility. However, this article argues that a state moves along the state transition curve, resulting in governance capacity variations over time. It begins as a fragile state, consolidating to becoming a vibrant state, only to embark, eventually, on a downward trajectory through phases of rigidity, decaying, and fragility, before becoming a failed state. About one-third of MENA (Middle East and North Africa) countries are either fragile or failed states. Only technological change and knowledge accumulation and diffusion can shift this curve upward, thereby increasing a state’s effective governance capacity. |
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Keywords: | Fragile Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region state transition curve fail state |
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